


t' 










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N £ W 



ITALIAN GRAMMAR 






The rollowing" opinion of this Work, is extracted from 
" The Times/' 

'* We have been induced, on account of the reputation of the Author, 
to cast an eye over the Italian Grammar of Mr. Angelo Cerutti, a second 
edition of which has just been published; and we find it much superior to 
the elementaiy books usually employed in teaching the continental lan- 
guages. Those who have had the labour of wading through Veneroni, and 
other books of that kind, whei*e a confused mass of ill-digested observations 
and examples fatigue infinitely more than they instruct, and where rules are 
profusely given, without any explanation of the grounds on which they have 
been framed, or of the causes of the numerous exceptions from them, will 
readily appreciate the value of a Grammar in which principle and practice 
are successfully united. That the habit of learning by rote should still 
prevail to a considerable extent, is truly astonishing. Grammatical disqui- 
sitions are not necessarily Jacobinical, and yet it would seem that some 
persons revolt at a philosophic view of language, and turn aside from it 
with that sort of abhorrence which our self-styled practical statesmen display 
when required to examine any thing which they choose to call political 
theory. But, surely, in the acquisition of every description of knowledge,, 
it must be of advantage to exercise the understanding as well as the memory, 
and it may be presumed, that a rule will not be less well recollected, that 
the reasons for laying it down are clearly perceived. We are, therefore, 
glad to find that the Aulhor has so decidedly departed from the common 
routine, and that he has, besides, the merit — no slight one in a foreigner 
writing English — of alwa3's expressing his opinions intelligibly. M. Cerutti 
is a zealous champion of the pure Italian style, and laudably endeavours to 
extirpate from his mother tongue, the uncongenial Gallicisms to the intrusion 
of which it has recently been much exposed. This renders the Work a safe 
guide for the student who may be ambitious of acquiring a correct and 
classical Italian style." 



NEW 



ITALIAN GRAMMAR; 



OR, 



A COURSE OF LESSONS 



IN THE 



Stalfan Uattsuage* 



BY 



ANGELO CERUTTI. 







% 



SECOND EDITION, 
AUGMENTED AND IMPROVED. 




LONDON: i 
PRINTED FOR SHERWOOD, GILBERT and PIPER, 

PATERNOSTER-ROW ; 
DULAU AND CO., TREUTTEL and CO., SOHO-SQUARE; 

AND 

ROLANDI, BERNERS-STREET. 



ia3.3. 



'^C. 



\\®^> 



e.^ 



E. H. BLAGDON, PRINTER, 

(Successor to B. M' Vlillan), 

BOW-STREET, COVENT-GARDEN. 



TO 



THOMAS GRIFFIN, ESQ, 



DEAR Sill, 

The many and continued favours which I 
have received from you, would alone constitute 
you the most proper person to whom this Second 
Edition of my Grammar should be addressed, if 
the sound judgment and discrimination which you 
are known to possess^ did not, at the same time, 
induce me to dedicate its pages to you. In the 
hope that this attempt to facilitate the acquisition 
of the Italian Language, will be sanctioned by your 
approval, and in grateful recollection of the mul- 
tiplied instances of friendship to which I have 
alluded, I commit my Work to your kindness; 
and beg to subscribe myself, 

Sincerely and gratefully yours, 

ANGELO CERUTTI. 

August 15, 1828. 



PREFACE 

TO THE FIRST EDITION. 



Questa sard luce nuova, sole This will be a new ligrht, a 

nuovo, lo quale surgerd new siin^ which will rise 

la dove V usato tramon- where the former sets, 

terd, e dard luce a color o and will enlighten those 

che sono in tenebre e in who are in darkness and 

oscuritd, per lo usato sole obscurity, as the old sun 

che a loro non luce. shines not for them*. 
Dante. 



Although it is generally remarked, that the 
Italian is the most beautiful of languages, }et the 
manner in which its beauties are enumerated by 
many, is often such, as to prove that they make 
the assertion only from hearsay, without specifying 
what is, in fact, that language which deserves to 
be thus highly extolled. If any excellencies are 
ascribed to the language which is now generally 
spoken, if its character is such as we find in the 
elementary books which are diffused through this 
country, and if any beauties are attributed to cer- 
tain compositions and translations which have been 
presented to the English, the general opinion is un- 
doubtedly erroneous. I can discover only a medley 
of foreign idioms, without any observance of gram- 
matical rules, entirely devoid of those peculiar and 
lively expressions which constitute the true spirit 

* Under the "new sun," Dante symbolizes tlie Italian language; under 
"the old," the Latin. 



VUl PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 

of our language, and filled with words which are 
neither to be found in our authors, nor even in 
dictionaries. This confusion proceeds from every 
one considerino^ himself authorized to introduce 
barbarous words and expressions, provided he 
change the termination of the former, and apply 
Italian words to the latter; from the erroneous and 
foolish opinion which some entertain, that it is 
sufficient to be born an Italian, and to peruse some 
trifling romances, to have authority to judge and 
to decide. The neiv light, the neiv sun, alluded to 
in the above prophecy of Dante, he, and after him, 
Petrarch, Boccaccio, &c. called fortfc, and caused to 
diffuse its light on our horizon. He, however, did 
not mean that Italian v/ould be the language, as it 
is generally termed, of singers and women only, 
but of philosophers and of the Muses ; he foretold 
that it would be the medium by which philosophy 
(which was in that age confined to a small number 
of learned men who understood Greek and Latin) 
would be communicated to every capacious mind, 
and extended to every nation ; as, in that age, 
Italy alone enjoyed its enlightening influence*. 
Those who peruse the best authors, will find that 
our language is equally adapted to amorous strains 
and sublime conceptions, to vigorous compositions, 
and to a strict and orderly representation of our 
ideas. 

* Questo sura quel pane orzato del quale si satolleranno migliaia — " This is 
the barley bread upon which thousands will feed." — Dante; still meaning 
the Italian language. 



PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. IX 

To those who affirm that those are old authors, 
and that Italian, like every other language, has 
changed, and continues to change daily, I answer, 
that these innovations will certainly end in the 
total destruction of our language, if unopposed, or if 
we ourselves assist its decadence. Those authors, 
however old, created and established the beautiful 
language, as it is justly te'rmed ; and its beauties 
will exist in their works alone, if we deviate from 
their example. Our modern writers are at last sen- 
sible of it; and those who wish to make an impres- 
sion on the minds of their readers, have recourse to 
the old school. 'The difference, however, between 
the study of what is now called Italian, and the 
language which was transmitted to us by our best 
authors, is such, that he who endeavours to acquire 
the former, overcome with weariness and disap- 
pointment, is at last obliged to abandon his under- 
taking; while he who applies himself to the latter, 
finds at each advance, new sources of gratification. 

One of the firmest opponents of the threatened 
destruction, is Biagioli, who, perceiving the im- 
pending fall of the Italian language, exclaimed 
against the assailants ; and, to put an end to the 
devastation, dispersed the clouds with which ig- 
norance had veiled its beauties, and established 
its grammar upon the authority of the ancient 
writers and of reason*. Attracted by the real 

* To his Commentaries on Dante, Petrarch, and Buonarroti, we are 
indebted for the new lustre which our literature has lately acquired. 

C 



X PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 

science which his work evinces, and desirous of 
placing the Italian language in a true point of view 
before the English Nation ; as also to contribute in 
some degree to preserve the glory which yet re- 
mains to my Country, I determined to compose this 
Grammar upon a similar plan, for the use of those 
who seek rational pleasure and solid improvement 
in the liberal pursuit of knowledge. 

I was principally induced to compile this work, 
by remarking that other Grammars are filled with 
verbs and nouns only, and teach the Student little 
beyond the mere demand for bread and water ; in- 
asmuch as they are destitute of the more important 
parts of syntax ; and the few rules which they con- 
tain, are given without the assistance of reasoning, 
and founded upon the simple assertions of the gram- 
marian. I have endeavoured, even in the etymology, 
to exercise the mind of the Student ; and all the 
rules laid down throughout this work, are founded 
upon quotations from the best authors, whose 
names are to be found at the end of each example. 

Should my work obtain the approbation of the 
Public, and the errors into which the Amateurs of 
Italian have been hitherto led, be averted through 
my efforts ; and should the mode I have endea- 
voured to point out, be adopted, I shall think myself 
amply compensated for the time and labour which 
I have necessarily bestowed upon the composition 
of the following pages. 



PREFACE 

TO THE SECOND EDITION. 



The object and intent of my Grammar having 
been sufficiently explained in the Preface to the 
First Edition, in committing a Second to the press, 
I conceive it to be necessary merely to make the 
following additional observations. With every 
reason to be satis^ed at the success which has 
hitherto attended my Work, I regret to state an 
opinion which has been somewhat hastily adopted ; 
viz. that it is by no means calculated for the in- 
struction of children. Before I answer this sweeping 
denunciation, I involuntarily digress, for the con- 
sideration of an absurd custom of teaching Italian 
by means of the French language. The Professors 
who advocate this system, censure my mode of 
reasoning, as being too complicated; yet have no 
hesitation in perplexing a child, by employing two 
foreign languages at once. They purpose thereby, 
to instruct the Pupil in both at the same moment, 
yet they cause him, in fact, even to lose the use of 
his own ; as, in studying a foreign language through 
the medium of our own, we insensibly improve in 
both ; but if, in the acquisition, we employ a third, 
it will altogether produce so thorough a confusion, 

c2 



XU PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. 

that, in place of expanding the mind, it will serve 
only to enchain it. To the remark, that Italian 
and French are so nearly akin, that a knowledge 
of the one smooths the path towards accomplishing 
the other, I have merely to observe, that there is 
certainly a considerable resemblance with respect 
to the similarity of words; but, as regards style, 
they so essentially differ, that a non-acquaintance 
with French is of no slight utility to the Student 
who desires to write in pure Italian. From this 
close resemblance of words, it would appear, that, 
bv translating" verbatim French into Italian, we 
should effect a style tolerably correct; yet such a 
proceeding, although intelligible, would only tend 
to de[)rive the latter of its natural grace, vigour, 
and perspicuity. The absurdity, however, increases, 
if we reflect, that, by this principle, both Master 
and Scholar avail themselves alike of a foreio^n 
language ; and although it is probable that one 
may not be properly versed in French, yet what 
can be expected when both are equally ignorant of 
their medium of communication, as I have in some 
cases witnessed? but still they persevere upon this 
erroneous system, rather than make use of the 
English language. The above observations I have 
frequently made in schools, where the pupils have 
been too young even to be w^ell acquainted wilh 
their own language. If the reasons which I adduce 
were not sufficient to support my opinion, I should 
cite the Master of all Grammarians, Dumarsais, 



PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. Xlll 

who sa^s, Les regies d'une langue ne doivent se 
tirer que de cette langue meme. 

I should, in the first instance, have been willing 
to admit, that my mode of teaching would not be 
altogether so well adapted for children as for 
adults ; I, however, lately gave my system a fair 
trial, in the case of a young lady, scarcely eleven 
years of age, and who was barely acquainted 
even with the principles of English. That I had 
at first some diflSculty, I confess, as she frequently 
very candidly answered me, '^ I do not under- 
stand ivhat you meanf but as I agree with Dante, 
that it is impossible to proceed in any thing, 
if the foundation be not first of all laid down, 
I commenced ab initio ; and by making her com- 
prehend the terms Article, Adjective, Verb, &c. have 
within six months succeeded in making her fully 
understand my reasoning ; as for instance, page 98, 
Rule V. and which is by no means easy, when the 
object of possession is related to the person repre- 
senting the subject of the preposition, &c. ; so that 
she is enabled to proceed, and is now writing the 
fourteenth Exercise on the particle si; while, far 
from retrograding in English, she has actually 
made advances by the principles of general Gram- 
mar; and hence I conclude, that if ray method 
is serviceable, even for children who possess no 
grammatical principles, it must be of at least equal 
utility to those of maturer age. 

It is to me scarcely conceivable, how parents can 



XIV PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. 

desire that their children should follow the usual 
dull routine, which is highly calculated to stifle 
whatever natural capacities the}' may possess, rather 
than that they should learo by naethod of reasoning, 
which would develop those faculties, and by giving 
them additional strength, have an influence not 
only on their study of languages, but in facilitating 
the acquisition of any science to which they might 
afterwards apply their energies. 

It is here necessary for me to anticipate a possible 
observation, that my Work is filled with Exercises 
alone. In the first place, I assert that, were the 
Student to run through all the Rules, without mak- 
ing the proper application, he would not unlikely 
sink under so uninteresting an occupation ; whereas, 
by making the application after each Chapter, the 
dulness of the study is alleviated, and indeed ren- 
dered even amusing. In the next place, I highly dis- 
approve (as I state in the Introduction to the Pro- 
miscuous Exercises) of translation from English 
into Italian, unless the original be extracted from 
Italian authors, that the Scholar may not form a 
false style, but from the commencement acquire a 
pure and correct taste. 

I certainly cannot expect from my Pupils, what 
will he desired by the London University, namely, 
that ivhen they understand thoroughly the nounsj 
pronouns, and verbs (which difficult and abstruse 
science may be communicated in three lessons), they 
translate either viva voce, impromptu, or in ivriting 



PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. XV 

from an English author ! ^ Students who breathe 
the scientific air of an University, probably inhale 
at the same moment just ideas of syntax and style, 
and would not therefore make translations like those 
which we have supposed in pages 298 and 295; and 
the Professor must really have a wonderful talent, 
to correct viva voce such impromptus according 
to the spirit of the Italian language. 

There are, in the present Edition, forty-four 
Exercises, and when the Student has written all of 
them, there will be little danger of his adopting an 
impure and inaccurate style ; and, in this light, I 
cannot but consider them as a real treasure for the 
learner. 

In conclusion, I may almost cease to regard this 
book as a Grammar, and term it, instead, A Course 
of Lessons'^. I may consequently insert in its 
pages, whatever I think most calculated to aid the 
progress of my Pupils, and by this means also, 
avoid imposing on any Professor, the necessity of 
making use of my Work, if he should not approve 
of its contents. 

* See the Second Statement of the Council of the University of London, 
page 111. 

f I have generally found, that a new Pupil, if already provided with a 
Grammar, is unwilling to incur the double expence attending the purchase of 
a second. I cannot allow this opportunity to escape, of remarking, that mine 
is not, in fact, so much a Grammar^ as the Course of my Lessons; and having 
shown, and I trust satisfactorily, that the productions dignified with the title 
of "^ Grammar f^' are either altogether useless as a medium of communica- 
tion, or calculated to engender a spurious feeling for the Italian language, 
I may surely be allowed to give a preference to the results of my own expe- 
rience, and the fruit of severe study; and it would little prove my judgment, 
were I to avail myself, in giving lessons, of any such compilations, which I 
so entirely disapprove. 



AUTHORS CITED IN THIS WORK. 



D. Dante, Divina Commedia, and Convito. 

P. Petrarca, Rime. 

B. Boccaccio, Decanter one, Fiammetta, Urbano. 

F. Firenzuola, Commedie, 

M. Macchiavello, Storie Florentine. 

G. Gelli, Capricci del Boltajo, and Sporta. 
Caro, Lettere. 

Bentivoglio, Lettere. 
Crusca, Dizionario, 



ITALIAN GRAMMAR. 



CHAP. I. 

ITAL!AN ALPHABET. 



Italian Characters. 






English . 




Sounds. 


a, 


- 


a, as in 


- 


far. 


e close. 


- 


e. 


- 


- 


faint. 


e open, 

t*, - . - 


~ 


e, 


■ . " . 


" 


fair. 
medium. 


close. 


- 


0, 


- 


- 


rove. 


open, 

6t, - - 


- 


0, 


- 


- 


storm. 

prudence. 

globe. 


c, - - 


- 


c, 


- - 


- 


chain. 


d, - - 


- 


d. 


- 


. 


code. 


f^ " ' 


- 


f. 




- 


safe. 


g". 

A, - - 


: 




"■ ~ 


~ 


gem. 


I. - ' - 


- 


1, 


- 


- 


pale. 


m, 


- 


ni, 


- 


- 


come. 


n, 


- 


1^, 


- 


- 


lane. 


p, - - 


- 




- 


- 


ripe. 

quadrant. 

fair. 


s, - - 


- 


Al 


- 


- 


season. 


^ 


- 


t, 


- . - 


- 


g-ate. 


w. 


- 


V, 


- 


- 


live. 


s, - - 


- 


Jdz, 
^tz, 


~ 


"" 


medso. 
Switzerland. 



* There is another letter j introduced, at the end of words, instead of 
the double i; as tempj for tempii, the temples. 

+ When this letter is uttered alone, it maybe sounded either he, as heard 
in bay, or be, as in beer. Both these sounds may likewise be applied to the 
consonants c, d, g, t, and v ; then, with Italian characters, they are ex- 
pressed either be, ce, de, or hi, ci, dl. 

X This letter is only used in the following forms of the verb avere: 
namely, ho, I have ; hai, thou hast ,- hci, he has ; hannn, they have ; that 
they may not be confounded with the words o, or ; ai, to the ; «, to ; aniio, 
year ; it is not, hov/ever, aspirated. It is also used as an auxiliary letter, to 
supply the imperfections of our alphabet; as we shall see in the following 
table ; and it is added to some interjections, to support and lengthen the 
sound of the vowel. 

§ The letter r is pronounced as forcibly and audibly in the middle, and at 
the end of a word, as at the beginning ; like Ihnne, ramble. 

II This letter has two sounds ; the one, sharp, as in the words sale, salt ; 
solito, accustomed ; — the other, flat, as in rusuy rose ; pausa, pause. 

B 



Table of the most remarkable Sounds of the Italians 
Language*, 



Italian Sounds. 


English 


Sounds. 


Example 


IS. 


Ca, 


ka, as in calm ; 


Campo, 


camp. 


Co, close, 


ko. 


colon ; 


Colmo, 


height. 


Co, open, 


ko, 


coin ; 


Corpo, 


body. 


Cu, 


ku, 


cuckoo ; 


Curro, 


roller. 


Ce, close, 


clia. 


chase ; 


Cencio, 


rag-. 


Ce, apen, 


ehai, 


chair ; 


Cervo, 


hart. 


a, 


che, 


cheer ; 


Cirro, 


wig-. 


Che, close, 


ka. 


cape ; 


Chente, 


whatever. 



* I have to observe, that Italian words must be pronounced with a very 
clear and distinct articulation ; vowels, especially the a, the open e and o, 
must be uttered in a loud voice ; the sound must rise from the throat,- 
without any aspiration; the mouth must be open. Every letter is pro- 
nounced ; double consonants, combinations of several vowels — all are dis- 
tinguished. In the word miei, for instance, the three vowels are distinctly 
heard from the mouth of an Italian ; (I must insist upon this point, because, 
in this, the English require to be stimulated when they undertake the study 
of our language) ; there is only one exception ; iu the combinations of the 
letters cia, cio, ciu; gia, gio, giu; scia, scio, sciu ; the i, when not accented, 
serves only to soften the sound occasioned by the other two letters coming in 
contact, and is, as it were, stifled by them . Generally, when I have a new pupil,- 
I find a defect, which, from having made too great an impression, it is often 
diflficult to eradicate : I mean the cadence upon the last vowel, when it is not 
marked by the accent. This, no doubt, proceeds from having previously learnt 
French. We have, as in English, an accent upon every word which is suscep- 
tible of emphasis, the place of which varies ; as rhtolano, they rolf; cardine, 
a hinge ; polo, pole ; sono, he sung, &c. Articles, prepositions, simple 
conjunctions, and particles, have therefore no accent. This variation of the 
accent^ constitutes one of the most important parts of the harmony of 
languages; and we must, for this reason, be particular in this delicate point 
of pronunciation. When the accent falls upon the last vowel, it is always 
marked ; and, in that case, the word being shortened, the accentuation of 
this last vowel ought to be forcible and short. I do not mark the accent, 
as some have done, to show the student where it falls, unless it be upon 
the last syllable ; because I do not think it right to accustom him to an 
accent which he will not meet with in Italian books. There is a particular 
variation of the accent in verbs. Rotolare, for instance, to roll, makes 
rhtolo, I roll ; rhtolano, they roll ; rotolando, in rolling ; rotolo, he rolled ; 
rotolerb, I will roll. As there is a sensible difference of sound between the 
e and o open and close, I give several examples of each in the following 
table, 



Italian Sounds. 


English Sounds. 


Examples. 


Che, open. 


kai, as in care ; 


Chermisi, crimson. 


Chi, 


ke. 


key; 


Chimica, chymistry. 


Cia, 


cha. 


charm ; 


Ciarla, babble. 


Cie, 


cheai; 


, 


Cieco, blind. 


Cio, close. 


cho, 


chose ; 


Cionco, broken. 


do, open, 


cho, 


choice ; 


Ciocca, cluster. 


Ciu, 


chu, 


choose ; 


Ciurma, crow. 


See, 


sha. 


shame ; 


Soever 0, severed. 


See, 


shai. 


share ; 


Scena, scene. 


Scia, 


sha. 


shard ; 


Sciancato, lame. 


Scio, close, 


sho. 


show ; 


Biscione, a large serpent. 


Scio, open, 


sho. 


short ; 


Sciocco, stupid. 


Sciu, 


shii, 


shoe ; 


Asciutto, dry. 


Schia, 


skea, 


(the a of far) 


; Schiatta, issue. 


Schie, close. 


ske-a, 


(the a of fate) 


; Schietto, simple. 


Schie, open. 


ske-ai 


} ~ 


Schiena, back. 


Schio, close. 


skio. 


- 


Schiodare,io unnail. 


Schio, open, 


skio. 


- 


Schioppo, gun. 


Ga, 


g*a, pronounced broad ; 


GarruU, talker. 


Ge, close. 


g-e, 


reg-ent ; 


Geto, jess. 


Ce, open. 


g-e. 


jest; 


Genero, son-in-law. 


at. 


g-i. 


g-in; 


Gita, walk. 


Ghe, close, 


g-e, 


g^ame; 


Ghes^o, black. 


GAe, open, 


ge, 


g-et; 


Gheppio, hawk. 


G/ii, 


g-e, 


geese ; 


Intrighi, intrigues. 


Gia, 


ja. 


jaunt; 


Giallo, yellow. 


Gio, close. 


jo. 


joke ; 


Giovane, young. 


G^eo, open. 


jo. 


joy; 


Giove, Jupiter* 


Giu, 


j»» 


jurist; 


Giuhba, waistcoat. 


Gli*, 




k 


Egli, he. 


Gna, ^ 






Romagna, Romania. 


Gne, J 






Agnello, lamb. 


<rm, Vno corresponding- sound ; 


Regni, realms. 


Gno, \ 






Pegno, pledge. 


Gnu, J 






Ignudo, naked. 


Gu, 


g-u, as in lugubrious; 


; Sciagura, misfortune. 



* This sound does not exist in the English language ; the words egli/to, 
quegUy negliy and all those which have the syllable gli followed by a vowel, 
are pronounced as cgli. 



CHAP. II 



OF VERBS. 

The conjugation of the verbs essere, to be, anc} 
avere, to have. 

Infinitive Mood. 

To be. Avere, 



Essere, 

Essendoj 

Stato, 



PRESENT PARTICIPLE. 



Bein« 



Avendo, 



PAST PARTICIPLE. 

Been. Avuto, 

Indicative Mood. 







PRESENT. 


Sono*, 


I am. 


Ho, 


S.ei, 




Hai, 


E, 




Ha, 


Siamo, 




Abbiamo, 


Siete, 




Avete, 


Sono, 




Hanno, 




PRETERITE IMPERFECT. 


Era, 


1 was. 


Aveva, 


Eri, 




Avevi, 


Era, 




Aveva, 


Eravamo, 




Avevamo, 


Eravatei 




Avevate, 


Erano, 




Avcvano, 



To have. 

Having. 

Had. 

1 have. 



I had. 



* The forms of the Italian verbs being mostly different from one another^ 
there is no occasion for always adding to them the personal nouns io, tu, 
I, thou, &c. ; the verb is quite sufficient to distinguish the person ; yet, 
good writers very frequently make use of the personal nouns. 





PRETERITE PERFECT*. 




Fui, 


1 was. 


Ebbi, 


I had. 


Fosti, 




Avesti, 




Fu, 




Ebbe, 




Fummo, 




Avemmo, 




Foste, 




Aveste, 




Furono, 




Ebbero, 

FUTURE. 




Sard, 


I shall 


or) Avro, 


1 shall or will 




will be. i 


have. 


Sarai, 




Avrai, 




Sard, 




Avrd, 




Saremo, 




Avremo, . 




/Sarete, 




Avrete, 




Saranno, 




Avranno, 





* The perfect tense is employed to denote an action finished ; the imper - 
feet, an unfinished one ; the former is used to indicate what was performed 
at one or several periods limited and determinate ; and the latter, what has 
been usual and customary during an unlimited period of time. 

As this denomination of tenses is a little diflFerent from that which is 
given in English grammars, I have to observe, 1st, That the English make 
use of the same form of the verb, to express the two tenses which are here 
styled preterite; 2ndly, That I call them pi'eterite (which word, from the 
Latin frceteritum^ signifies past) , because both represent an action past ; 
3rdly, I divide them into imperfect and perfect^ because the former is em- 
ployed to denote an action unfinished, and performed during a time unde- 
termined, and the latter to indicate what was finished and performed during 
a time determined ; which words, finished and unfinished, determined and 
undetermined, are equivalent, by analogy, to perfect and imjierfect, 

I have remarked, that many of the English, even after having passed 
some years in France (for, French and Italian agree in the above principle), 
do not make a right distinction between the perfect and imperfect. A French 
grammar discovered to me the cause of this defect. These two tenses are 
therein, in the exercises, always marked with two different signs j so that 
the student has not the least trouble in distinguishing ; and therefore, when- 
ever he has to translate, and doies not see the customary guide, he is at 
a loss. This happens in every thing studied by rote. In the exercises 
of my grammar, I leave the distinction to the student, in order that, by 
continually applying to the theoretical principle above-mentioned, he may 
be enabled to make a right use of the two tenses. 



Conditional Mood. 



:Sarei, - 


I rnig-ht 
would, 
be. 


, could, J Avreij 
or should > 


I mig^ht, could, 
would, or should 
have. 


Saresti, 




Avrest% 




Sarebbe, 




Avrebhe, 


- 


Saremmo, 




Avremmo, 




Sareste, 




Avreste, 




Sarebbero. 




Avrebbero, 
Imperative Mood. 




Sii, 


Be. 


Abbi, - 


Hava. 


Sia, - 


Let him be. Abbia, 


jLet him hava. 


Siamo, 




Abbiamo, 




State, 




Abbiate, 




Siano^, 




Abbiano, 





Subjunctive Mood. 

PRESENT. 

Che sia, That I be, or 1 Che abbia, That I have, or 
may be. 3 may have. 

Che sia, Che abbia, 

Che sia, Che abbia, 

Che siamo, Che abbiamo, 

Che siate, Che abbiate, 

Che siano, Che abbiano, 

IMPERFECT. 

Che fossi. That I were, or ) Che avessi. That I had, or 

mig-ht be. y 

Che fossi, Che avessi, 

Che fosse, Che avesse, 

Che fossimo, Che avessimo, 

Che foste, Che aveste, 

Che fosserop Che avessero, 



mig-ht have. 



* We say also sicno; but siano is more used in familiar discourse. 



Compound Tenses. 



Essere »tato, - To have been. Avcre avuto, To have had< 

Essendo stato, - Having been. Avendo avuto^ Having had. 

So7io stato, or stata, I have been, &c. Ho avuto, - I have had, &c. 

iSiawo */rt/t,or ^^a/e,&c. We have been, &c. Abbiamo avuto. We have had, &C. 

Era stato, &c. Aveva avuto, &c. 

Sard stato, &c. Avrei avuto, &c. 

Che sia stato, &c. Che abbia avuto, 8cc, 

Che fossi stato, &c. Che avessi avuto, &c. 



The Conjugation of regular Vet'bs. 
All the infinitive moods of verbs end in are, ere, or 
ire: cliiamare, to call; perdere, to lose; servire, to 
serve. 

These three verbs, conjugated as follows, may be 
considered as models of all the others. 

Infinitive Mood. 
Chiamare, To call. Perdere, To lose. Servire, To serve. 

PRESENT PARTICIPLE. 

Chiamando, Calling. Perdendo, Losing-. Servendo, Serving". 

PAST PARTICIPLE. 

Perduto, Lost. 
Indicative Mood. 

PRESENT. 

Pef^do, I lose. 

Perdi, 

Perde, 

Perdiamo*, 

Perdete, 

Perdono, 



Chiamato, Called. 



Servito, Served. 



Chiamo, 

Chiami, 

Chiama, 

Chiamiamo, 

Chiamate, 

Chiamano, 



I call. 



Servo, 

Servi, 

Serve, 

Serviamo, 

Servile, 

Servono, 



serve. 



* Remark. — If the accent in the first person of the singular, falls either 
upon an e or an o open, those two vowels take the close sound whenever 
the accent passes upon a following vowel ; and as the accent is placed upon 
the first syllable only in the three persons of the singular, and the third of 
the plural of the present tenses, the e and o are open only in these instances. 
Then pronounce the e of perdo a^ in pair, and the e of perdiamo as in pale; 
the o( porto, I bear, as in wor; and the o of portiamo, we bear, as in 
store. 



:preterite imperfect. 



Chiamava, I called, ■^ Perdeva 

did call, ( 
or was J 
calling. J 

Chiamavi, 

Chiamava, 

Chiamavamo, 

Chiamavate, 

Chiamavano, 



I lost, "j Serviva, 

did lose, ( 
or was f 
losing. J 

Perdevi, Servivi, 

Perdeva, Serviva, 

Perdevamo, Servivamo, 

Perdevate, Servivate, 

Perdevano, Servivano, 



I served^ 

did serve, 

or was 

serving. 



PRETERITE PERFECT. 



Chiamai, I called,") Perdei, 
or did 



call. 



Chiamasti, 

Chiamb, 

Chiamammo, 

Chiamaste, 

Chiamarono, 



/ 



Perdesti, 

Perd^, 

Perdemmo, 

Perdeste, 

Perderono, 



I lost, 1 Servii, 

or did > 
lose. J 

Servisti, 

Servi"*, 

Servimmo, 

Serviste, 

Servirono, 



I served, 
or did 
serve. 



FUTURE. 



Chiamerd, I will, "j Perderd, 
or shall > 



call. J 



Chiaraerai, 

Chiamerd, 

Cliiameremo, 

Chiamerele, 

Chiameranno, 



Perderai, 

Perderd, 

Perderemo, 

Perderete, 

Perderanno 



I will, 1 Servird, 
or shall > 
lose. J 

Servirai, 

Servird, 

Serviremo, 

Servirete, 

, ServirannOj 



I will, 

or shall 

serve. 



* I have observed that the English have great difficulty at first in marking 
the accent upon the final vowel in Italian. We see that in the three regular 
verbs, the third persons of the perfect, chiamoy perde, servl, are written with 
the same letters as the first, third, and second of the present of their respective 
verbs, viz. chiamo, perde, servi; the only difference consisting in the accent ; 
so that if we do not make the necessary distinction, we confound them. The 
English word ago, is an instance of the mode of accentuating the last vowel, 
although a slight one ; because, in Italian, when the accent is upon the last 
vowel, the sound is not protracted, but short and forcible. 



Co7iditional Mood. 

Chiamerei, I might, ^ Perderei, ^ might,") Servirei, I might, 

could, i could, could, 

would, ^ would, [>■ woiild, or 

or should or should should 

call. J lose. J serve. 



Chiameresti, 
Cliiamerehbe, 
Chiameremmo^ , 
Chiamereste, 
Chiamerebbero, 



Chiamaf, Call. 
Chiami, 



Perderesti, 

Perderebbe, 

PerderemmO) 

Perdere>^te, 

Perderebbero, 



Sei^viresti, 

Seivirebbe, 

ServirernJiio, 

Servireste, 

Servirebbero, 



Let him ~) Perda, 
call, j 
Chiamiamo, Perdiamo, 

Chiamate, Perdete, 

Chiamino, Perdano, 



Imperative Mood. 

Perdi, Lose. Servi, 

Let himl Serva, 
lose. / 

Serviamo, 

Servile, 

Servano, 



Serve. 
Let hiui 
serve. 



Subjunctive Mood: 



Che chiami, That n Che perda 
call, or I 

may ( 

call. J 
Che chiami, 
Che chiami, 
Che chiamiamo, 
Che chiamiate, 
Che chiamino. 



PRESENT. 

That 
lose, or 
maj 
lose 



^a 



Che perda,. 
Che perda, 
Che perdiamo, 
Che perdiate, 
Che perdano, 



may f 



Che serva. That I 
serve, or 
may 
serve. 
Che serva, 
Che serva, 
Che serviamo, 
Che serviate, 
Che sef^vano, 



Che chiamassi^^^^} 

'called, 

or 

might ' 

call. 

Che chiamassi, 
Che chiamasse, 
Che chiamassimo, 
Che chiamaste, 
Che chiamassero, 



IMPERFECT. 

I Che perdessi,'^^^^^ ^ 

or 
might ( 
' lose. 

Che perdessi, 
Che perdesse, 
Che perdessimo, 
Che perdeste, 
Che perdessero, 



Che servissi, 



That I 
served, 

or 
might 
serve. 



Che servissi, 
Che servisse, 
Che servis.nmo, 

Che serviste, 
Che servissero. 



* The English scholar should be cai*eful in sounding double consonants, 
which are of importance in Italian ; for, in many instances, the double con- 
sonant changes the signification of a word ; as appears from this form of the 
verb, and the first of the future plural. 

+ This person is, only in the singular, expressed by the infinitive, when 
attended with a negative : 7ion cantarc, do not sing ; no?i chiainarc, do not 
call. 



C 



10 



COMPOUND TENSES. 

Avere chiamato, perduto, servilo, to have called, lost^ 
served, &c. Ho chiamato, perduto, servito, I have called, 
lost, served, &c. The others are compounded in the same 
manner. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



In order to conjugate a regular verb by the preced- 
ing table, we change the letters which precede are, ere, 
ire, of the above verbs, into those of the verbs which 
we are about to conjugate, and which likewise pre- 
cede are, ere, ire. Thus, to conjugate the verb cam- 
pare, to escape, by chiamare, we change the letters 
chiam into camp, in every person, tense, and mood. 

Nothing is required in interrogation, but a different 
tone of the voice, the verb being, in that case, gene- 
rally followed by its subject 

The negative ought always to be placed before the 
verb. 

In the verbs ending in glare, dare, sciarc, as man- 
glare, to eat; cacciare, to chase; lasciare, to leave, &c. 
in which the i modifies the syllable ga, ca, and sea, 
w^e must write the future and conditional without the i, 
thus: mangerd, manget^ei ; lascerd, lascerei; caccerd, cac- 
cerei, &c. In those ending in ca7'e, gare, scare, a.sfab- 
bricare, to build ; shrigare, to hasten ; trescare, to dance ; 
an h is to be supplied before the e and i, to preserve 
the hard sound : fabbrichi, trescherd, sbrigherei. 

The regular verbs of the second conjugation, have 
generally two terminations in the following persons of 
the perfect tense: perdei or perdettl ; perde ox perdette ; 
perderono or per dettero. 



11 
CHAP. in. 

OF GENDER. 

There are two genders in the Italian language — 
the masculine and the feminine: the one denotes ani- 
mals of the male kind, and all the objects to which the 
masculine gender has been assigned; the other desig- 
nates animals of the female kind, and all the objects 
to which the feminine gender has been ^attributed, in 
the same manner as the English assign the feminine 
gender to a ship. 

The following nouns are masculine : 

1. Those ending in o; except rnano, hand. 

2. In me,' except arme, arm ; /ame, hunger; «peme (a poe- 

tical word), hope. 

3. In re; except febbre, fever; polvere, dust; scui'e, axe; 

torre, tower. 

4. In nte; except gen^e, people; lenle , iQiitW '^ wenf c, mind ; 

semente, seed. 

The following are feminine : 

1. Those ending in a; except papa, pope; anatema, ana- 

thema ; poema, poem ; tema, theme ; pianeta, planet ; 
and all those which have been adopted from the Greek. 

2. In i; except ahbicci, alphabet; barbagianni, owl; di, 

day ; and those which are compounded of this word ; 
Luncdi, Mondsiy \ Martedi, Tuesday; MercoZec?2, Wed- 
nesday ; Giovedt, Thursday; Venerdi, Friday; bi^in- 
disi, toast ; ecclissi, eclipse ; diesi, diesis ; ambassi, 
ambs-ace. 

All the nouns ending in ^, which have no singular, 
are also excepted. 

3. Inu; except Corfu, Corfu; Peru, Peru; ragu, ragout; 

meu, meon, a kind of herb. 

With regard to the termination e, we have remarked, 
that nouns ending in me, re, and nte, are masculine. 
When the e is preceded by any other consonant, the 

c2 



12 



noun is generally feminine ; yet, as the exceptions are 
many, it is better to have recourse to a dictionary. 
All nouns ending in one, which in English end in tioriy 
as affliction, afflizione; consideration, coiisiderazione ; 
and those ending in me, formed by an adjective, as 
consiietudine, custom ; mansuetudine, mildness, are fe- 
minine. 

Words of both Genders. 

Aere,Si\Y', arbor e, XvQe\ trave, he^m^ career e, prison (its 
plural is feminine only); cenere, ashes (the plural ceneri is 
feminine on\y) ;Jine, end ; folgore, thunder; fonte, fountain ; 
fronle, forehead (feminine in prose: of both genders in 
poetry) ; Genesi, Genesis ; margine, scar ; nocei walnut, 
feminine; noee, walnut-tree, masculine : oste, host, landlord, 
masculine ; oste, host, army, feminine. 



GHAP. IV, 
OF NUMBER. 



The plural is distinguished from the singular by a 
change of the final vowel, as follows : 

Masculine Nouns. 



Rules. 
a changes into 

e — ' 

— ■' — '■ 

io 

to 

chio 

glio 

cio 

gio 

aio 

ca 

CO ' 

go 



^. 
i. 
i. 

i- 
a, 

chi. 

glL 

ci. 

gi. 

oj. 

chi. 

chi. 

ghi. 



Singular. 

Poemq,, 

Padre, 

Ruscello, 

Premio, 

Pendio, 

Occhio, 

Naviglio, 

Spaccio, 

Faggio, 

Lihraio, 

Duca, 

Cerchio, 

Luogo, 



poem, 

father, 

rivulet, 

reward, 

declivity, 

eye, 

ship, 

despatch, 

beech-tree, 

bookseller, 

duke, 

circle, 

place. 



Plural. 
poemi. 
padri. 
ruscellii 
premj. 
pendii. 
occhi. 
navigli. 
spacci. 

fasg\- 

libraj. 
duchi, 
cerchi. 
luoghi. 



Whatever the terminations of masculine nouns may 
be, their plural is always formed by changing the last 



13 

vowel of the singular into i. There are some words of 
irregular termination, as uomo, man; uomini, men; 
Dio, God; Dei^ Gods; hue, ox; buoi, oxen, i?6, king, 
does not change in the plural. 

Nouns ending in cMo, glio, do, gio, are rendered 
plural by suppressing the last vowel ; the i being in 
the singular, only as a modification of sound. 

Nouns ending in co and go, consisting only of two 
syllables, require an h in the plural, before the last 
vowel ; except the three following : Greco, Greek ; 
porco, hog; mago, magician; which make Greci, porci, 
magi. 

Nouns ending in co, composed of more than two 
syllables, change that termination into clii, when- 
ever there is a consonant before it; but if preceded by 
a vowel, CO is changed into d, except the following 
words : abaco, desk ; antico, ancient ; carico, load ; 
(iprico, exposed to the sun ; heccafico, beccafigo ; pu- 
dico, chaste ; rammarico, complaint ; fondaco, ware- 
house ; manico, handle ; opaco, opaque ; fraffico, traffic ; 
uhhriaco, drunk ; and some others, which take an h in 
the plural. 

As to the words ending in go, of more than two sylla- 
bles, this termination is changed into ghi ; except some^ 
as asparago, asparagus ; teologo, theologian, &c. 

Feminine Nouns. 

Rules. Singular. Plural. 

a changes into e. Pentola, pot; pentole, 

e i^ Madre, mother; madri, 

i. Mano, hand ; mani. 

da ce. Cacda, chase ; cacce. 

gia ge. Spiaggia, sea-shore ; spiagge. 

gia ■ gie. Bugia, lie ; bugte, 

ca che. Barca, boat; harche. 

ga ghe. Strega, witch; streghe. 



14 

Feminine nouns ending in a, change that vowel into 
e ; those which end in e or o, change those vowels into 
i, in the plural. The terminations c?a and gia^ are 
resolved into ce and ge; unless the accent be on the 
penultima, as in hugia, lie, &c. in which it is neces- 
sary to preserve the i in the plural ; because, in that 
case, it is an integral part of the word 3 whilst, in the 
former, it serves only to smooth the sound. Termi- 
nations in ca and ga, are transformed into die and gJie, 
without exception. 

Invariable Terminations . 





Singular. 




Plural. 


a 


Caritdy 


charity ; 


caritd. 


b 


Pib, 


foot; 


pib. 


i 


Crisi, 


crisis ; 


crisi. 


u 


Virtu, 


virtue; 


pirtu. 


ie 


Specie, 


species ; 


specie* 



Every word ending with an accented vowel, is inva- 
riable; for this reason, that, from the yfox^s virtute, 
caritate, bontate, &c. as they were used formerly, 
which make, in the plural, virtuti, caritati, bontati^ 
the last syllable being cut off, they remain the same 
hoWi in the singular and in the plural. Feminine 
nouns ending in i and ie, are also invariable, except 
moglie, wife, which makes mogli. 



PARTICULAR REMARKS. 



Ciglio, eye-brow; cigli or ciglia, eye-brows. 

Braccio, arm ; hracci or hraccia, arms. 

Lahhro, lip ; lahbri or lahbra, lips. 

Several nouns which end in o, terminate, in the 

pluraJ, both in i and a. It is to be remarked, 1. That 



one is often preferable, from elegance, harmony, or 
use ; as, in familiar discourse, the termination a; 
2. That when we employ the noun with the termina- 
tion a, the articles and adjectives relating to them 
agree with the feminine gender. 

The word kgno, wood, has three forms in the plural : 
legni, legne, legna. The first is the general noun; the 
second and third denote the wood for fuel. Miglio, 
mile, makes miglia; paio, a pair, paia; centinaioy 
hundred, migliaio, thousand, make ceritinaia, migliaia. 

Some nouns, from the nature of the thing which 
they express, are used only in the singular— as orgo- 
glio, i^Yide; pigrizia, sloth; and others only in the 
plural — as nozze, wedding; molle, tongs. 

Singular. Plural. 

Ai^ma, } Arme, ? 

Arme, I'^^^Pon- Armi, J' weapons. 



^ ' > ode. ri • ? odes. 

Canzone, ) Canzom, y 

Fronda, K . Fronde, ) |„__ 

Fronde, T^^^' Frondi, } ^^^^^s* 

A word which has two terminations in the singular, 
undergoes the variations already mentioned. 



CHAP. V. 
CONNECTION AND DEPENDENCE OF WORDS. 



lo consiglio voi. P. I advise you. 

As in our language there are no cases, we shall term 
the person or thing which governs the verb, the subject; 



16 

and that which bears the action, the object: conse- 
quently, in the sentence io consiglio vol — io is the 
subject, and voi the object. 

Here let the student observe, that instead ol' em- 
ploying in this Grammar the words nominative and 
accusative, which are quite useless, either in English 
or Italian, we will always make use of the word sul)- 
ject for the former, and object for the latter. The 
other cases, viz. genitive, dative, &c. which are sup- 
plied in modern languages by prepositions, are in 
this work styled relations; for what is the office of pre- 
positions, but to establish relations between words, 
and to denote in what position one thing stands 
with regard to another? The preposition di, for in- 
stance, implies that one thing is the quality of an- 
other; the preposition a, indicates that one tends to 
another ; the preposition da, that one proceeds from 
another; the preposition per, that one passes through 
another. &c. 

The relations between words being therefore pointed 
out by prepositions, we will now speak of the pro- 
priety of the most important of these ; and, in another 
chapter, treat of those circumstances in which they 
appear to deviate from the character assigned to 
them in the following definition. 

The principal word which occurs in a proposition, is 
the verb, as it may form a proposition by itself; for 
instance, piove, it rains. The second is the noun ; 
but as the noun is generally preceded by the article, 
and as the article is very often joined to a preposition, 
we shall, for this reason, endeavour now to give an 
idea of the natui-e of prepositions : 



17 



II. 

1. La gratitudine di Tito. B. Titus's gratitude. 

2. Dispose d'aprirgli il suo He resolved to disclose to him 

bisogno. B. his necessity. 

3. Le latora di rosai e di The sides were enclosed with 

gelsomini eran chiuse. B. rose-trees and jessamines. 

The preposition di, is employed to designate one or 
several words which qualify another; and is therefore, 
when joined to the qualifying word, equivalent to an 
adjective. Italian does not admit of placing the pos- 
sessed or qualified word after the possessor or qualifier, 
as in the first English example ; in translating into 
Italian, the words must be re-established in their 
direct construction —T/.e gratitude of Titus. The pre- 
position di, corresponds with of. 

The apostrophe supplies the i of the preposition, 
when followed by a word beginning with a vowel. The 
preposition di, supplies the English preposition to, 
before an infinitive, when that infinitive qualifies the 
preceding word ; and, generally, the preposition ivith, 
after an adjective or a participle, as in the second and 
third examples. 

From the third example it is evident, that prepo- 
sitions ought to be repeated before every noun of the 
same sentence, unless there be some relation between 
them ; as, for instance, between the words nohilta and 
ricchezza, of the following example from Boccaccio : 
Egli era noto a ciascuno per la nohiitd, e ricchezza del 
padre — He was known to every one, from his father's 
nobility and wealth. 



18 



III. 

1. lo voglio andare a Roma. I wish to go to Rome, 

B. 

2. A me non si conviene. B. It does not become me. 

3. Ad Abraam rivolto, disse. Having- turned to Abraham, 

,B. he said... 

The term towards which^, motion, and figuratively, 
an action, or an idea tends, is indicated by the pre- 
position a. The letter d is generally added to this 
preposition, when it is followed by a word beginning 
with a vowel ; and especially in the case of the a, as 
in the third example. It corresponds to the English 
preposition to, and sometimes supplies at, when it 
denotes tendency ; as, for instance, " look at him ;" 
pon mente a lui. 

As the English preposition to, before an infinitive, 
marks the relations both of qualification and of ten- 
dency, and as those two relations are indicated in 
Italian by the two prepositions di and a, 1 have ob- 
served, that many experience difliculty in making the 
proper application of them, especially if the word pre- 
ceding the preposition to, be a verb. Now, if that 
verb may be supplied by a substantive, and the pre- 
position to by of, as, '' he resolved to disclose ;" or, 
" he made the resolution of disclosing ; he wishes to 
see you ;" or, " he has the desire of seeing you," it 
is then evident, that di must be employed — dispose 
d'aprire; desidera di vedervi. But if such change can- 
not take place, and the word preceding the preposition 
express motion or tendency, as, *' she ran to embrace 
him ;" " 1 prepared myself to resist the strife," we, in 
that case, make use of a — lo corse ad ahhracciare; mi 
pi'eparava a sostener la guerra. 



19 



IV. 

1. La fineslra era molto alta The window was very big-h 

da terra. B. from the ground. 

2. lo fui da tutti benigna- I was kindly received by all. 

mente accolto. B. 

3. Da Ottaviano tutti son They are all liberated by 

liherati. B. Octavian. 

The preposition da, marks the point from which one 
departs, and, figuratively, the cause, the agent, from 
or by which the action or eflfect is produced. 

It answers to the preposition from, and generally 
supplies hy, after a participle past, when the pre- 
position is applied to the agent by which it is per- 
foimed; as in the third and fourth examples. It does 
not admit of elision, as we see in the third example. 

V. 

1. Era in luogo assai solita- It was in a very lonesome 

rio. B. place. 

2. Al presente e in povero She is at present in a state of 

stato, B. poverty. 

3. Tanto in Firenze dimoro She remained at Florence 

che.., B. till... 

In, serves to mark the place of station, and, figura- 
tively, the state or manner of being or acting, with 
reference also to time. It represents in and into; and 
supplies at, when it indicates station. 

VI. 

1. Connoi venite, D. Come with us. 

2. lo con queste mani lo 1 plucked it with my own 

strappai. B. hands. 

The character of the preposition con, is to point out 

the person in whose company we are proceeding, 

living, or acting; and, figuratively, the means by which 

we perform something ; answering, in fact, to with, 

d2 



20 



vir. 

\. Lasciane andar per li tuo' Allow us to g-o through thy 
sette regni. D. seven kingdoms. 

2. Argo ^ per li suoirefa- Argos is famous for its kings 

mosa. B. 

3. Per sette porte entrai con I passed by seven gates with 

questi savi. D. these sages. 

The character of the preposition per, is to designate 
the place through which a person, and, figuratively, 
the cause through which the effect, passes. In the 
former case, this preposition is translated by through; 
in the latter, it corresponds to the preposition for, 
and supplies hy, when it denotes passage. 



EXERCISE If. 

1. Perhaps this woman is sent from God. 

— costei — — * — 

2. Why do you not take me to Florence? 

— «;o^(4) (I) menare (3) mi(2) * Firense 

t This Grammar being entirely established upon the authority of the best 
writers, I have extracted from them all the sentences contained in these 
exercises ; so that, if the student make a right application of the gramma- 
tical rules, he may depend upon the purity of the stj'le. 

In other grammars, the exercises, if there are any, are entirely the pro- 
duction of the grammarian ; and such compositions not only convey to the 
student an erroneous notion of the Italian style, but frequently cause him 
to use expressions not allowed by our syutax. Besides, in such exercises, 
the examples, being similar to one another, tend only to fatigue the 
student. 

The cypher 0, placed under any word of the exercise, signifies that it 
must not be translated. 

The trace — , implies that the student must translate the word under 
which it is placed, either from what he has already learned, or by means of 
a dictionary. 

The * denotes, that application is to be made of the rules explained ia the 
chapter, and of the most remarkable rules already laid down in the pre- 
ceding chapters. 

Verbs, unless the tense or mood change in Italian, are always put in the 
infinitive ; nouns are given in the singular ; the student must supply the 



I 



21 

3. He was there with a servant of his. 
egli — guivi * un suo fante 

4. It was a very sure sig-n of approaching- death. 
— certissimo indisio * futura — 

5. He was a man of stern appearance. 

— — — * Jiera vista 

6. They were extensively trusted by every merchant. 

— sommamente creduti * ogni mercatante 

7. He is waiting- for you at his own house. 

— v' attende * sua (2) (1) 

8. The ship was driven by a furious wind. 

la nave — sospingere * impetuoso — 

9. He became a sing-ing- and music master. 

divenire canto — suono * 

10. This is not the way to g-o to Alag-na. 
questa * la via * — * — 

11. He could only enter by the door. 
non potere se non (2) ( 1 ) * I' uscio 

12. I would g"ladly know it from thee. 
volentieri (^) sapereQl) il(X) * te 

13. He resolved to discover his wants to him. 

— disporre * aprirgli il suo hisogno 

14. He was not used to fasting-. 

* uso * dig-iunare 

15. He entered into several and various discourses with 

(1) * (4) molti — varii ragionamento *(2) 
him. 
lui (3) 

16. I do not intend to return to you. 
10 — — * tornare * voi 

proper tense, person, gender, and number. The irregularities of verbs 
are treated of at the end of the Grammar. 

The numbers indicate the Italian transposition. 

It sometimes happens that a verb, which is in a different mood in English/ 
must be put in the infinitive in Italian ; and that a noun, which is plural in 
English, must be singular in Italian; in these cases, the Italian words are 
printed in Roman characters. 

When the verbs do, let, may, shall, &c. are used as auxiliaries, no sign 
is put under them ; when they are employed as principal verbs, either they 
are marked with a trace underneath them, or the proper verb is supplied. 



22 

17. Henceforth let the g-overnment of this little people 

omai il — * questo piccol — 

be your caret. 
— VQStro 

18. Comfort yourself; you are at home. 

confortatevi — — * casa vostra 

19. The whole room was perfumed with roses, 
Z«(2) tutta(^l) camera olire * — 

orang-e-flowers, and other odours. 
aranci* — — altri — 

20. He lived a long* time at Palermo. 

dimorare — — * — 

21. I shall always love you for her sake. 
— amare voi * amor di lei 

22. The sky was very dark with clouds, and with 

il — — oscurissimo * nuvolo — * 

the gloom of the nig-ht. 
buia notte 

23. She found by chance a fisherman's boat. 

— * avventura una — * navicella 

24. From thence he went to his father 's house. 

quindi — * il — * — 

25. He found it furnished with a mast, sails, and oars. 

(2) la{}) fornita * 0->*— — * — 

26. I shall never have peace with her. 
io non debho mai — — * lei 

27. They were talking* of the beauties of France, of 

ragionare delle belle donne * — * 

Eng-land, and of the other parts of the world. 
— — delle altre — del — 

28. Having- returned from fowling, and being fatigued, he 

essere tornare * uccellare — — stanco 

went to sleep. 
s'andd * — 



t When one word is placed under two, or two are under three, or more, 
the inferior number supplies the superior. 



23 

29. He returned from Paris to Florence. 

— * — * — 

30. Mysia, my woman, and Licisca, Filomena's, shall be 
Misia mia fante — — — * (3) 

continually in the kitchen. 
continue {4) * (1) (2) 



CHAP. VI. 
OF THE ARTICLE. 



The Italians have three articles, which they em- 
ploy in the following manner : 





For the Masculine Nouns, 




iSingular, 




Plural. 




V amove, 


- the love. 


gli amori, 


the loves. 


lo strepito, - 


- the noise. 


gli strepiti, - 


the noises. 


lo ^oppo, 


- the cripple. 


gli zoppi, 


the cripples. 


il tempo, 


- the time. 


i tempi, 


the times. 




The Feminine Nouns, 




la favola, • 


• the fable. 


le favole. 


the fables. 


V ora, 


- the hour. 


le ore. 


the hours. 



There are consequently two articles for masculine 
nouns, lo and il. The article lo, is applied to nouns 
beginning with a vowel, and to those which begin 
either with s, followed by another consonant, or with 
z. The article il, is placed before those which begin 
either with one consonant or with two, excepting the 
two consonants above-mentioned. The o of the article 
lo, is generally cut off before a noun commencing with 
a vowel. The article la, is applied to feminine nouns ; 
the a must also be cut off before those words which 
commence with a vowel. 



24 

There are in Italian some prepositions, which are 
united to the articles in the following manner : 





IL 






I. 






di 


il, 


del. 


di 


i, 


dei. 


of the. 


a 


il, 


al. 


a 


i> 


ai. 


to the. 


da 


il, 


dal. 


da 


i. 


dai. 


from the. 


in 


il, 


nel. 


in 


i> 


nei. 


in, or into the. 


con 


il, 


col. 


con 


i, 


coi. 


with the. 


su 


il, 


sul. 


su 


i> 


sui. 


or, or upon the. 


per 


il, 
Lo. 


pel. 


per 


i, 
Gli. 


pel. 


throug-h, or for the. 


di 


lo, 


dello. 


di 


g^h 


degli. 


of the. 


a 


lo, 


alio. 


a 


gli, 


agli. 


to the. 


da 


lo, 


dallo. 


da 


gli, 


dagli. 


from the. 


in 


lo, 
La, 


nello. 


in 


gli, 
Le. 


negli. 


in, or into the. 


di 


la, 


della. 


di 


le, 


delle. 


of the. 


a 


la. 


alia. 


a 


le. 


alle. 


to the. 


da 


la. 


dalla. 


da 


le. 


dalle. 


from the. 


in 


la. 


nella. 


in 


le, 


nelle. 


in, or into the. 



We say also collo, colla, cogli, colle; but good 
authors more frequently employ the separated form, 
con lo, con la, con gli, con le. 

The article li, another plural of ^/, is only used after 
the preposition per, and to mark the days of the month. 
The article lo, is employed in prose after the preposi- 
tion per, rather than i/. 

The forms, frallo, fralla, pel, pella, sullo, sulla, 
instead of fra lo, fra la, per il, per la, sn lo, su la, 
are bad, and must never be employed. Sul and pei, or 
pe', are used instead of su il and per i. 

The prepositions di and in, are changed into de and 
we, when united to articles. 



The word Dei, plural of Dio, a god, requires the 
article gli. 

Sometimes the i is cut off from the compounded 
words dei, ai, dai, coi, &c. In that case, it is abso- 
lutely necessary to put an apostrophe, thus, de\ a\ 
da\ co\ 

Application of the Article. 

I. 

1. Sono ancor venule le da- Are the young ladies yet 

migelle? B. come? 

2. Si trapassammo, toccando Thus we passed on, tasking- 

unpocolavitafutura.Jj. a little upon the life to 

come. 

3. La mediciria da guarirlo I w^ell know the medicine to 

so io bene. B. cure him. 

The article is a sign employed to point out a noun 
determined* by an adjective or a sentence, or by what 

* By the word '• determined," I mean to distlnguisb, to fix upon one of 
several things which have one generic name, but are indi\'idually different, 
or are characterized by particular qualities. For this reason I employ 
throughout this chapter, the words determinate and determination, which I 
am often obliged to repeat, as most expressive of my meaning. 

The proper application of the article is certainly difficult, both in 
English and in the Italian language ; and as it is highly necessary for 
Italians to exercise their reasoning powers, to be enabled to make a right 
application of the article in the English language, in like manner will the 
English find that they also must reflect, before they can accurately apply the 
article in Italian. It is asserted in a standard Grammar of the English lan- 
guage, that " It is of the nature of the articles, to determine or limit the 
thing spoken of." Now, it does not appear to me that the article has 
the power to del ermine a thing. The use of the article is to indicate what 
is determined by an adjective, by an incidental proposition, or by some 
preceding discourse. Therefore, in the examples quot?d above, it is not 
the article which specifies the words damigelle, vita, and mediciiia ; but, in 
the first, it is the implied expression, che vol aspettavate, " whom you ex- 
pected ;" in the second, the adjective /m/mjvz; and, in tho third, the expres- 
sion da guarirlo. I attach great importance to this principle, because we 
shall see that, when a determination is neither expressed nor understood, 
the noun does not require any article to designate it. 

E 



26 

has been said in a preceding discourse : in this princi- 
ple all languages agree. In the first example, the article 
applied to the word damigeUe, designates some particu- 
lar ladies already mentioned ; in the second, the article 
la, points out the noun vita, specified by the adjective 
futura; and in the third, the article 7a, indicates the 
particular medicine determined by the expression da 

guarirlo. 

II. 

1 . L'ingratitudine e antichis- Ingratitude is a very ancient 

simo peccato. B. sin. 

2. La povertd non toglie gen- Poverty does not take from a 

tilezza ad alcuno. B. person's gentility. 

3. Vi cid ne b testimone Africa is a witness of it. 

I 'Africa. M. 

4. Non se ne dee I'uomo ma- Man must not wonder at it. 

ravigliare. B. 

5. Gli uomini in molte cose Men, in their desires^ sin 

peccano desiderando. B. many ways. 

The article being employed to point out a word 
which requires to be determined, the words ingrati- 
tudine, povertd, virtii, vizio, scienza, ignoranza, &c. ; 
Momo, uomini, &c.; Africa, Italia, Inferno, Paradiso, 
&c. when used in their general sense, seem to need no 
determination ; they must, however, be marked in Ita- 
lian by the article, because our determination is then 
referred to their generic names ; as if we intended to 
distinguish the words ingratitude, poverty, man, Africa, 
hell, from their generic names, sin, condition, being, 
province, place, namely : il peccato d'ingratitudine, lo 
stato di povertd, la provincia d' Africa, Vente uomo, il 
luogo detto Inferno. The word peccato, of the first 
example, used by Boccaccio, is a sufiicient proof of 
this assertion. 

Now, as in this case the article designates the noun 
which determines its generic name, we may conclude 



27 

that, in Italiaa, the article is applied both to a noun 
determinate, and to a noun determining its generic 
name understood, as mentioned in the preceding pa- 
ragraph. 

The definition of the different significations of the 
word constancy, in the two instances of the following 
sentence, will better explain my meaning : " We must 
act our part with constancy, though the reward of con- 
stancy be distant"— Tzoi abhiamo ad operare con co- 
stanza, benche it guiderdone delta costanza sia lontano. 
Why do the Italians apply an article to the substan- 
tive costanza in the second case, and not in the first? 
There must certainly be some diff'erence in their mean- 
ing, which is not evident in English. As 1 before ob- 
served, the office of the article is to indicate a word 
determined. But it may be asked, what determina- 
tion can the word constancy require, since it is not 
used here in a particular sense ? Tt is not the word 
constancy that is determined in this case ; it is deter- 
minative of another noun. The noun determined must 
therefore be understood, and that is virtue, which I 
call its generic name ; so that, when I say la costanza, 
I signify la virtii delta costanza — '^ the virtue called 
constancy." I shall now show, that we in one instance 
apply the article, because the mind aims at distin- 
guishing constancy from other virtues ; and in the other 
case we do not prefix any article, because the mean- 
ing is restricted to the word constancy alone, without 
noticing its contradistinction to other virtues. We may 
perceive that, in the first instance, the mind is not 
directed to the generic name virtue; if it were, the 
meaning would be, *' We must act our part only with 
that virtue which is called constancy, not with other 
virtues;" which is not in that case our intention, 

e2 



28 

according to reason ; therefore I say that, in the first 
instance, the mind is not at all occupied with the 
generic name virtue. In the second case, on the con- 
trary, our intention embraces entirely the generic term 
virtue, which is determined by the specific name CQ7i- 
stancy, in order to exclude all the other w^i^es; the 
signification of the sentence being, that *' it is only the 
reward of the virtue constancy, which is distant:" the 
reward of other virtues is excepted. Italians, there- 
fore, do not use the article in the former instance, 
because the specific name is not determinative ; but 
they apply the article in the latter, on account of the 
determination of the word virtue understood. To 
afford the student another mode of distinguishing be- 
tween the two cases in which the word constancy is 
employed, I have to observe that, in the former it is 
taken in a vague and partitive sense, as is evident by 
supplying the word some; and, in the latter, it is taken 
in its widest or general sense, for which reason, the 
word some cannot be supplied. 

In the 4th and 5th examples, the words man and 
men are taken in their widest or general sense, in the 
totality of their species ; but if I say, '' he was a sen- 
sible man'' — era uomo di huon sentimento — then the 
word man is taken only in part, as the particle a de- 
notes. Thus the nouns, philosophers, writers, virtues, 
vices, herbs, metals, &c. and all those which, when ex- 
pressed in their totality, do not admit of the article in 
English, must yet be marked by it in Italian; that is, 
i filosofi, gli scrittori, le virtu, i vizj, le erbe, i me- 
talli, &c. 



29 



in. 

1. Ciascuno pud avere udito Every one may have heard 

ricordare il re Carlo. B. of King- Charles. 

2. r fu' 'I conte Ugolino. D. I was Count Ug-olino. 

3. Jl signor Paolo m' ha Sig-nor Paul wrote to me. 

scritto. Caro. 

4. lofui d' Erminia, figliuo- I am of Armenia, the son of 

lo d'uno ch' ebbe nome one Phineo. 

Fineo. B. 

5. Maestro Giotto dipintore, Giotto the painter, coming 

venendo di Mugello. B. from Mugello. 

According to the three first examples, the words in- 
dicating quality, title, or profession, viz. re, conte, 
signore, dottore, &c. which may be applied to many 
persons, being always determined by a christian or 
family name, must therefore be preceded in Italian by 
the article. The nown papa, pope, when followed by 
a name, is however an exception. 

The 4th and 5th examples show, that when these iden- 
tical words are put after the determining name, they 
do not admit of the article. The reason is, that in the 
first instance, the generic titles, re, conte, and signor, 
being placed and uttered before their specific names. 
Carlo, Ugolino, and Paolo, require a determination ; 
they must consequently be designated by the article ; 
whereas, in the second, the specific names, io and 
Giotto, being first, it is already known to whom the 
generic figliuolo and dipintore are applied ; and they 
do not need, therefore, any other distinction. In this 
rule, it is evident that we are quite opposed to the 
English, who in the former instance do not apply any 
article, while they do in the latter; the principle, 
however, is the same in both languages. The difi'erence 
of the application of the article, proceeds from the va- 
rious points of view under which things strike, or pre- 



30 

sent themselves to the mind. Upon this philosophical 
principle we shall enlarge in Chapter XXII. on Pre- 
positions. — The obsolete words, madonna and messere, 
for mistress Siud mister, admit of no article in any case. 

IV. 

X.Moltosarehbemeglioravere It would have been much 
taciuto. B. better to have been silent. 

2. II salire omai ne parrcL Now it will be very easy for 

giuoco. D. us to get up. 

3. Guarda Vandare. F. Look at the strang-e gait. 

From these examples we learn, that a verb may be 
used as a noun, and therefore be attended with the 
article, when a sentence or proposition represents the 
subject or the object of another. With regard to the 
verb employed for the subject, as in the two former 
examples, this happens whenever the pronoun it refers 
to the latter proposition ; which will at once appear by 
reducing the sentences in question to the direct con- 
struction, thus: 1. It; viz. to have been silent would 
have been much better, 2. Now it; viz. to get up will 
be very easy for us. When this transposition takes 
place, the preposition to, which is before the verb, is 
substituted in Italian by the article. In that case, the 
sentence always begins with the pronoun it. As the 
verb then represents a masculine noun, so it requires 
a masculine article, corresponding in euphony with the 
first letter of the verb. We may also omit the article, 
and say, Molto sarebbe meglio avere taciuto; satiric omai 
ne parrci giuoco, if we do not wish to specify the ideas 
expressed by the verb tacere and salire. With regard 
to the verb employed for the object, as in the third 
example, the English language, being subject to a 
variety of expression, does not harmonize in con- 



.31 

struction with Italian; I cannot therefore give another 
such rule as the preceding. Moreover, the verb is 
frequently used more as a subject than as an object. 

V. 

1. Ravenna sta come staV e Ravenna is as it has been for 

molii anni. D. many years. 

2. Rimembriti di Pier da Remember Peter da Medi- 

Medicina. D. cina. 

3. Udil nominar Geri del I heard him called Geri del 

Bello. D. Bello. 

4. Dante, il Petrarca, e il Dante, Petrarch, and Boc- 

Boccaccio. caccio. 

5. Richiama la perduta sa- Recover your former health, 

nitd, e'l conforto, e I'alle- comfort, and cheerful tem- 

grezsa. B. per. 

We have remarked (rule the second), that names of 
provinces must have the article ; but, as appears here 
by the first example, the names of cities do not admit 
of it. 

Neither is the article applied to christian or family 
names, except occasionally to the latter, to point out 
any famous individual of a family ; in which case the 
name is determined by an implied noun, as poeta, 
filosofo, &c. ; but it is practised only for Italians of 
note; for we say, Demostene, Cicerone^ Arnstotele, 
Seneca, without the article. Dante is not preceded by 
the article, because it was his christian name ; but 
he was also called VAlighieri, from his family ap- 
pellation. 

The fifth example shows, that the article must be 
repeated as frequently as there are objects governed 
by the verb. 



m 



VI. 

1. La copia delle cose genera Superabundance of thing-s ex:- 

fastidio. D. cites disgust. 

2. Le Muse son donne. The Muses are women. 

3. Piu volte a ferire uomini He found many opportunities 

si trovd. B. of wounding* mea. 

4. Dweva testimonianse false. He bore false witness. 

B. 

5. Egli era raolto vago di He was very much pleased to 

stare in cucina. B. remain in the kitchen. 



The w^ords, fastidio, donne, uomini, testimonianze 
false, are employed in the above sentences only to de- 
note things, without any determination or distinction. 
When, therefore, a noun is not either determinate, as 
we have said in the first paragraph, or employed to 
determine another, as we have shov/n in the second, it 
must not be preceded by the article. 

As appears from the fifth example, we say, in cu- 
cina, in sala, in cantina, in casa, &c. without the 
article, when we mean our kitchen, room, cellar, or 
house; but if we possess several such places, and 
would particularize one, the article is then necessary. 

To render more perspicuous this reasoning upon 
the relation of the article with the noun, we show 
in the following table, the three cases treated, in 
which a noun is employed. In the first column the 
noun is determinate or particularized, and is therefore 
preceded by the article ; in the second, the noun de- 
termines its generic name, and is therefore designated 
by the article; in the third, the noun is indeterminate, 
and, for that reason, without any article; or, to use 
words which, though less precise, may appear clearer 
— in the first column the noun is taken in a particular 



33 



sense; in the second, it denotes a specific totality; in 
the third it is, in some measure, taken in a partitive 
sense^. 



Particular Sense. 

Se to avessi riguardo alia 
ingratitudine di lui, 
forte il riprenderei. 

If I considered his in- 
gratitude, I should re- 
primand him severely. 

Appresso questo il do- 
tnando se nel peccato 
della gola aveva a Dio 
dispiaciuto. 

Afterwards he asked him 
whether he had of- 
fended God with the 
sin of gluttony. 

Tu dicevi che eri colui 

il quale avevi ucciso 

V uomo. 
Thou saidst that thou 

wert the person that 

slew the man. 

Ella era huona e santa 
donna secondo Vopi- 
nione delle donne mo- 
nacke. 

She was a good and 
holy lady, in the opi- 
nion of the religious 
women. 



EXAMPLES. 

Specific Totality. Partitive Sense. 

Z/'ingratitudine e anti- Egli nan mi ha mai mo- 

chissimo peccato. stra ingratitudine. 

Ligratitude is a very He has never shown me 

ancient sin. ingratitude. 



II peccato e una tra- V ingratitudine e anti- 

sgressione alia legge chissimo peccato. 
di Dio. 

Sin is a transgression Ingratitude is a very 

against the laws of ancient sin. 
God. 



Sempre a quel ver che ha Egli era uomo di nazione 
faccia di menzogna dee assai umile. 

Z'uom chiuder le labbra. 
Man should always shut He was a maii of low 

his mouth at what birth. 

bears any resemblance 

to a lie. 



Questo si conviene piu Le Muse 
alle donne che agli 
uomini. 



donne. 



It is more becoming in The Muses are women, 
women than in men. 



* We may distinguish when the noun is indeterminate, or taken in a 
partitive sense, if we can supply the words a, an^ some, any, a part, &c. 
For instance, we can supply the word some, to the word disgust, of the first 
example ; a part of, to the word women, of the second j and some, in the 
third and fourth examples. 

F 



34 



EXAMPLES^Ccontinued). 

Particular Sense. Specific Totality. Partitive SenSe, 

Z'amicizia grande ck* Santissima cosa e V?i- Erano congiunti per a- 

eglihaconmelomuove mistk. mistjt. 
afar do. 

The great friendship he Friendship ia a sacred They were nnited by 

bears for me, induces thing. friendship. 
him to do it. 



Ora tratteremo delta na- Era la piu bella cosa eke Questo e contro Natura. 
tura^rfe' Francesi. mat fosse stata far- 

mata dalla Natura. 

We will now treat of It was the most beauti- It is against iViz^M/e. 
the nature of French- ful thing ever formed 
men. by Nature. 



Si pub immaginare quan- Era tomato in quel tempo 

to in quel tempo patisse Federigo in Italia. 
/'Italia. 

We may imagine how Frederic had returned at 

much Italy suffered that time into Italy, 
at that time. 



EXERCISE Il.f 

1. Thoug-ht is an act peculiar to reason. 

— — (2) propria (I) di — 

2. Orpheus tamed the wild beasts with his lyre. 

Orfeo fare mansuete — /iera — la cetera 

3. It well becomes you to reprimand not only 
a voi sta bene * ripigliare{6} (1) che (2) 

friends, but strangers also. 
(3) ma (4) strano(6) 

f I do not in this exercise mark the place of the application of the article, 
but leave it to the student's discretion. 



4. You knowt that people are more ready to believe the 

— — che gente ^ — acconcia — — — 
•bad than the good, 

male che — bene 

5. Cisti the baker, by a smart reply, makes Signor 

— — fornaio con — sua parola — (2) 
Geri Spina sensible of an unreasonable 

(3) (4) ravvedere{\) — — sua trascu^ata JxJ 
request. 
domanda 

6. Love dwells in gorgeous palaces and sumptuous 

— abitare lieti palagi — morbide 
apartments more willingly than in miserable cottages. 

camere — — che povere capanne 

7. Let one bring the bread, a second send the wine, 

questi porta?'e — — colui — — — 

and a third dress the meat. 

— quello altro fare — pietansa 

8. By the victory obtained over King Manfred, the 

— — — avuta di — Manfredi, — 
Gibelins were driven from Florence. 

Ghibellino — cacciati di — 

9. Friendship is increased by frequent intercourse. 

amistd s' accresce — consuetudme 

10. This is Archbishop Roger. 
questi — — Ruggieri 

11. Pity is a noble disposition of the soul. 
pietd — una — — — animo 

12. I have seen the letter which you wrote to Signor 
— vedere — — che scrivete — — 
Matthew. 

13. France, Italy, and Spain, are full of new names, 

— — — — — ripiene — nuovi — 

and quite different from the ancient. 

— al tutto alieni — — antichi 

14. Misery alone is unenvied. 

— solo — senza invidia 

•f* Wlien this verb signifies, to be informed of, to have in mind, it is 
translated in Italian by sapere; when it means, to recognize, to distinguish, 
it is rendered by conoscere. 

f2 



36 

15. The stars are an ornament of heaven. 

16. Having" given him money and a horse, he left him 

donatigli denari — pallafreno nel suo 

at liberty to stay or to depart. 

arbitrio rimise * (4) stare (5^) e (3) *(1) andare(2) 

17. Without saying any thing, she awaited death. 

senza dire alcuna — aspettare — 

18. The prince knew the greatness of his daughter's 

(2) (3) conoscere(\) — — — lasuajigliuola* 

soul. 
animo 

19. Poverty had not power to abase the greatness of 

— — — potuto rintuszare — — — 
his soul. 
V animo suo 

20. Pluck the roses, and let the thorns remain. 
cogliere — — — lasciare — — stare 

21. I shall offend the laws alone, whereas he oifends both 

— — — - — sole dove — — 
the laws and nature. 

22. Here are gardens, here are meadows, here are other 

qui — — — — pratello — — 

placest very pleasant. 
luogo assai dilettevoli 

23. To this short sorrow immediately succeeds 
— = questa brieve noia prestamente{2) seguitare(\) 

the mirth and pleasure which I have promised 

— dolcessa — — il quale — (2) (3) 

you. 
m(l) 

24. The young man, who was made neither of iron 

— giovane che non — — — 

nor diamond, easily yielded to the entreaties of 

— — agevolmente sipiegb — — preghiera — 
the abbot. 



t I must here request the student to compare this example with the sixth, 
and judge which expresses totality. 



37 

25. I have always been accustomed, when I leave the 

— — — avuto in costume — usciredi — 

inn, to say one pater-noster, and one ave Maria, for 
albergo — — — pater nostro — un' — — — 

the souls of Saint Julian 's father and mother. 

— anima — San Giuliano * — — — 

26. It is no glory for aa eagle to have vanquished 
(3) niuna(l) (2) ad — — * — vinta 

a dove. 

27. Already had the sun driven every star from heaven, 

gid — — — cacciata ogni {3) (4) (1) (2) 

and /the damp shade of the nig"ht\ /from the 
earth. \ 

- Aot 

28. She desires to have ease, comfort, and repose. 
ella volere — quiete consolazione — — 

29. As misdeeds require punishment, so benefits are worthy 
come fallo meritay^e — cost — meritare 

of reward. 
guiderdone 

30. None of them had either happiness or repose, but 
niun — loro aveva ne ben ne — se non 

so long- as they remained tog-ether. 
tanto quanto essere — 



CHAP. VII. 

OF THE PERSONAL NOUNS. 

The nouns io, I, applied to the speaker, and tw^, 
thou, applied to the party addressed, are subject to 
the following variations : 

+ When, after a word marked for transposition, several follow wliich are 
according to the English transposition, I enclose them between parentheses, 
and put one number for all, after the parenthesis. 

+ If we wish to be precise in our reasoning, we must be so likewise in the 
denomination of words. Pronoun is a word used to avoid the repetition of 



38 



Variations of the Personal Noun lo. 

Singular. Plural. 

Subject. io; I. noi; we. 

Point of ten- ) . , • • ^ 

dencv \ ^*^ ^ ^^' '"^^ "^®* ^*' ^ ^^*'* ^^' "^' 

Object. mi, me; me. ci,noi; ns. 

Variations of the Personal Noun Tu. 

Subject. iw/ thon. '^;o^; you. 

Point of ten- } .■ ^ ^i, * xi, 

dencv I ' ^ ' *"^^^ ^^ thee. vt,avoi; you, to you. 

Object. tijte; thee. vi,voi; you. 

Variations of the Pronoun Se. 

Object. St, «e; himself, hei-self, themselves^ one's 

self. 
, " > si, a se ; to himself, to herself, &c. 

We must mention the pronoun se in this place, on 
account of the share which it has in the rules we are 
about to explain. It supplies all the above English 
pronouns, when they refer to the subject of the pro- 
position ; as, for instance, he praises himself; egli loda 
se. But more respecting this pronoun hereafter. 

There are, then, for the person who represents the 
object of the verb, and for him to whom the action is 
directed or attributed, two forms, namely : 



the noun ; as, la signora mi manda a vol — ella dice, &c. ; the lady sends 
me — she says, &c. ; but there is never occasion to name a person before 
io and tu. These words, therefore, do not supply the place of a noun ; 
they are themselves the nouns of the speaker and the party addressed. 



39 



For the Object, 




For the P 


oint of 1 


>ndency*. 


mi. 




me. 


mi, 


- 


a me. 


a. 


. 


te. 


ti, 


- 


a te. 


ci, 




noi. 


ci, 


- 


a noi. 


vi, 


- 


voi. 


vi. 


- 


a voi. 


si. 




se. 


si, 


- 


a se. 



Let us now consider their application. 

I. 

1. Tu mi consoli* B. Thou comfortest me. 

2. Ad un' ova tu consoli me At once thou comfortest me 

e te. B. and thyself. 

3. Tu mi piaci. P. Thou pleasest me. 

4. Tu puoi piacere al tuo Thou canst please thy lord 

signore e a me. B. and me. 

5. lo I'aveva tolta io. G. I was disposed to marry her 

myself. 

When the action falls upon, or is directed to a single 
person, as in the first and third examples, we use the 
forms mi, ti, ci, vi, si; but if the same verb acts upon, 
or refers to two different persons, as in the second and 
fourth examples, we employ the other forms, me, te, 
noi, voi, se, for the object, and a me, a te, a noi, a 
voi, a se, for the point of tendency, in order to give 
more force to their expression. 

Thus, in the first example, the author uses mi, be- 
cause it is the single object of the verb consolare; but 
in the second, the verb consolare having two objects, 
he selects the more forcible words me and te. In the 
third example, the sensation of pleasure is attributed 
to a single person ; and therefore we say mi; but in 
the fourth, the same sensation being communicated 
to two persons, thy lord and me, we say, a me, and 
not mi. 

* In order to give some denomination to the person to whom the action 
tends, we term it point of tendency ; for, if the relations indicated by preposi- 
tions were denominated cases, we sliould have in our languages as many 
cases as there are prepositions. 



40 



It is worthy of notice, that the word self, sometimes 
joined in English to these nouns and pronouns, is sel- 
dom expressed in Italian. When the words myself, 
thyself, ourselves, yourselves, represent the subject, as 
myself in the fifth example, they are supplied in Italian 

by io, tu, noi, voi. 

11. 

Dite voi a me (non ad 
altri?) B. 



1. 



A voi non costerd niente 
(ma a me moUo.) B. 

Da me non venni. D. 



Do you speak to me (not to 
another?) 

It will cost you nothing- (but 
me much.) 

I came not of my own accord. 



The two first examples prove, that if the sentence 
implies a silent contradistinction or opposition, we 
must still employ the more forcible forms, me, te, se, 
&c. a me, a te, &c. By the third, we perceive that 
these very forms are always used when the pronoun is 
preceded by any preposition whatever. The reason 
is, that the words me, te, &c. may support the em- 
phasis, which the others cannot. 

III. 

1. ConfortatL B. Comfort thyself*. 

2. Non ci dar questa seccag- Do not trouble us thus. 

gine. B. 

3. Io son presto aconfessarvi 

it vero. B. 

4. Credendosi la mortefug- 

gire in quella incappa- 
rono. B. 

5. Fattosi venire una coppa 

d'oro, la mandd alia 
figliuola. B. 

6. Voi mi potete torre quanto 

io tengo. B. 

7. Io sento trarmi a riva. P. 



I am ready to confess the 
truth to you. 

Thinking- to escape death, 
they ran to meet it. 

Having- called for a golden 
cup, he sent it to his 
daug-hter. 

You may take all that I 
possess. 

I feel I am driven to the shore. 



* The personal noun tu, thou, being always used in Italian between 
friends and relations, I translate it into English literally. 



41 

This method is usually followed in familiar dis- 
course, The words mi, ti, ci, vi, si, are placed after 
the verb in three moods ; in the imperative (unless 
when attended with a negative), in the infinitive, and in 
both participles, with which also they incorporate into 
a single word, as in the first, third, fourth, and fifth 
examples. The infinitive loses the final e, and one r, 
if the verb have two, as in the seventh example, the 
verb trarre. When another verb precedes and governs 
the infinitive, as in the sixth example, we may more 
elegantly place the personal noun before the former. 
In the other three moods, — the indicative, the con- 
ditional, and the conjunctive, — these particles must 
be placed before the verb, and be separated from it. 
The more forcible forms, me, te, &c. are usually 
placed after the verb in every mood, and always se- 
parated from it. 

IV. 

1. Se la mend a casa. B. He broug-ht her to his house. 

2. Vientene m^eco. F. Come along- with me. 

3. Me ne domandate? F. Do you ask me concerning" it ? 

By a principle of harmony, when the personal nouns, 
mi, ti, ci, vi, si, are followed by the pronouns, lo, him 
or it; la, her or it; li, le, them; ne, of it, of them, 
from this or that place, they change into me, te, ce, ve, 
se; but the latter have then no more force than the 
former, and cannot therefore support the emphasis. 
They are separated before the verb, se la mend, and 
conjoined in a single word after it, vientene. The 
same rule is followed with regard to placing them be- 
fore or after the verb, as that which we have just 
given for the simple words, mi, ti, &c. 

The third example is given, to show the difi'erence 

G 



42 

between the words me, te, se, when they are set in 
opposition, and can support the emphasis ; and the 
words mi, ti, si, when changed into me, te, se, for the 
sake of harmony, and bearing no emphasis. In this 
example, the noun me is in opposition ; for its entire 
signification is, '* Do you ask me concerning it? Ask 
others ; I know nothing of the matter." In reading 
the third example, therefore, we must pause upon me, 
thus: me—ne domandate? accenting me, and the sylla- 
ble da of domandate; in the first, on the contrary, we 
pronounce the three words, se la mend, as if they were 
joined in one, selamenb, accenting only the last vowel. 
There are in Italian many verbs attended by a 
single, and sometimes by a double pronoun, which is 
not expressed in English ; as andarsene, to go away ; 
venirsene, to come away ; godersela (goder si la vita), 
to enjoy life. In that case the verb, being in the infini- 
tive, the pronoun se or si, represents the object of the 
proposition, because it then always refers to the 
subject uno, understood; which words, uno and se, 
answer to one's self; but if the subject of the verb be 
a personal noun, as io, tu, &c. the object must then 
be mi, ti, or me, te, &c. The pronoun ne, in the two 
former instances, signifies from this or that place. 
Whenever this occurs in the exercises, the pronouns 
are supplied and annexed to the infinitive of the Ita- 
lian verb, and the student must substitute to se or 
si, the proper object of the personal noun which re- 
presents the subject; for instance, in the sentence, 
" We went away," I put andarsene under went away; 
the subject being we, the student must change se into 
ce, and, putting both the pronouns before, and sepa- 
rated from, the verb, say, noi ce ne andammo. 



43 



V. 

1. Madimmi, ti sei tu spesso But tell me, didst thou fall 

adirato? B. often into a passion ? 

2. Vattene. B. Go away. 

3. Farottelo fare. F. I will g-et it made for thee. 

If one of the words, mi, ti, &c. melo, tene, &c. be 
placed after a verb in the imperative of a single syl- 
lable, as in the two former examples di' and va', or 
after another tense having the accent upon the last 
syllable, as in the third, faro, the consonant of the 
personal noun is doubled. 

VL 

1. Odi tu quel ch' io ? B. Do you hear what I hear ? 

2.Eecomi,chedomanditu? B. Here I am; what dost thou 

ask? 

3. Dinne alcuna cosa. B. Tell us something-. 

4. Meco ti consiglia. P. Consult me. 

When the personal noun marks the subject, it may 
be understood if there is no need of placing an empha- 
sis upon it; but it is always necessary when there is an 
opposition or contradistinction, as in the first example. 

To translate into Italian the expressions, here I am, 
here it is, here they are, &c. the pronoun representing 
the subject in English, becomes the object in Italian, 
and is always placed after the word ecco, which im- 
plies behold, and is united to it in a single word: 
eccomi, eccolo, eccoli. Thus the word ecco supplies the 
place of the verb to be, and the word here. 

The word ne, may be also a personal noun, and used 
instead of ci, as in the third example. 

We can say meco, with me ; teco, with thee ; seco, 

with him or her ; instead of con me, con te, con se, con 

lui, con lei. 

g2^ 



44 



EXERCISE Ill.t 

1. I beg- that you will afford me advice and assistance. 
— vi prego che porgiate * consigUo — aiuto. 

2. As it appears to me, you have little considered 
per quello che paia * — — poco riguardare a 

the nature of things. 



3. She came to excuse herself, and to comfort me. 

— — — — * — — confortar * 

4. I suppose you laugh to see me, a military man, 

forse — — perchb vedete * uom d'arme 

going about inquiring after such things, 
andar domandare di queste — 

•^ In writing our vernacular tongue, we do not much want to know the 
denomination of the parts of speech, and how to distinguish between them, 
practice having so entirely familiarized us with the just and proper mode of 
speaking, that we need not recur to those elementary parts of grammar ; 
but in learning a foreign language, as we cannot give so much time to it 
as we have bestowed on the acquisition of our own, we must supply this 
want of time by the assistance of reasoning ; to understand which, nothing 
is more essential than to know how to distinguish all the parts of speech. 
As in learning music, it is necessary to know the value of a sharp and of a 
flat, of a quaver and of a semiquaver ; and, for the knowledge of geometry, 
to comprehend the difference between an angle and a triangle, a problem 
and a proposition ; so, to understand grammar, we must be able to distin- 
guish a preposition from a proposition, an object from a relation of tendency. 
If I say, for instance, she ordered me to begin, I have no necessity, in Eng- 
lish, for the application of the personal noun me, to distinguish whether it 
is the object, or the point of tendency ; but if I have to translate it into Ita- 
lian, then I ought to know that to begin, is the object, and me, the point 
of tendency ; because there are two expressions in Italian, mi and me, for 
the former, and mi and a me, for the latter. Mi being employed for both, 
presents no difficulty; but if we have to make use of the more forcible 
expressions me and a me, we must then make a distinction. I advise the 
student, therefore, to analyze all the sentences in the following exercise, and 
to understand clearly which is the subject, which the object, and which the 
point of tendency. 



45 

5. I will take you to her, and I am sure that she 
menare * da lei — — certo — 

will recognize you. 
conoscere * 

6. I resolved to tell it to you, rather than to another. 
deliberarsi * — dirlo * piu tosto die — altrui 

7. I have not learned these things from the neighbours : 
— sapute queste — — — — 

he himself told them to me. 
— medesimo ha dette le * 

8. Here they are: she herself brought them to me. 

* le * — medesima ha recate le * 

9. In order to convince you that I have reason to 

accid che voi crediate — — abbia — — 

complain, I will tell you what your 

rammaricarsi * — volere dire * cid che it vostro 

friend did to me this morning. 
— — * stamane 

10. It is a much greater glory to conquer one's self, 
egli — — maggior — * vincere * 

than to conquer others. 
che — altro 

11. If I loved you now as I did formerly, 
se — amare * come — amare(2) gid(l) 

1 should not have courage to tell you a thing which 
— — — ardire — — * — che 

must displease yon. 
noiare * 



12. Young man, what dost thou ? What fear retains 
giovane che — qual temenza tenere 

thee? What ghost frightens thee? Art thou afraid 
* quale spettro spaventare * aver * paura 

of me ? 

* 

13. By doing this, the insult which he intends 

fare (2) quest o(^l) — ingiuria che volere 

to offer both to you and me, would be revenged 
fare * — * — vendicare Q2.} 

at the same time. 
adun*ora(^\) 



46 

14. Do not disgrace yourself, and plung-eme and your 
non vogliate vituperar * — mettere * — il vostro 

friend into danger and distress. 

— — pericolo — briga 

15. (Thou) Let me alone; hold me no more. 

lasciare * tener(3) * (2) non(\) (4) 

16. My lord, dispose of me as you think most for 
signor mio fare — * quel che — credere che piu 

your honour and happiness. 
— — — consolazion sia 

17. I am pleased to restore it to you: here it is. 

piacemif — render e lo * * 

18. I beg you will forgive me what I said to you. 
— * — * perdoniate * di quel che — * 

1^. Love compels me to act thus. 

— costringere * — fare (2) cos^(l) 

^0. For that, I am obliged to fortune more than to you; 
di quello — sapere grado — — — che * 

for this, I shall be indebted to you alone. 

— questo — — tenuto * 

21. You will excuse me if I cannot serve you. 

— perdonare * — — * 

22. There will be no one, who, when he sees us, will 

(2) non(\) alcuno che vedendo * 

not make way, and let us go. 

— ci faeeia luogo — lasci * — 

23. If thou hast not that intention which thy words 
se — — — quello animo che le parole tue 

show, do not encourage me with a vain hope. 
dimostrare — pascere * di vana — 

24. You may at the same time do yourself very great 

— potere — — — — — * grandissimo 

honour, and me an essential service. 
•— — * grande utilitd 

t The personal noun «ie, according to the third rule, should precede 
the verb ; but in this case it is purposely placed after it, to give fluency to 
the expression, as the circumstance requires. Thus we see that, once 
acquired sufficient taste, we are not confined strictly to that rule. 



47 



25. I have resolved to have you for my husband 

— — deliberare — voler * — — 

in preference to any one else. 
avanti che alcuno altro 

26. Remembering- the haw^k that you requested of me, 
ricordarsi * di — falcon — — domandare * 

and its goodness, I judged it a fit 

— * la sua bontd, — reputare(2) i7(l) degno 

repast for you. 
cibo da * 

27. I will tell it you on this condition, that you 

— — lo * con questo patto che — 

promise me never to communicate it to any one else. 
promettiate * che mai a niuno il direte 

28. He has proved me with words, and thee with deeds. 
— *— _ _*__ fatto 

29. Love induced me to give you this trouble. 

— — * — — * la presente fatica 

30. Perhaps he desired to put himself in the place 

— — — — porre * — quel luogo 

from which he endeavoured to expel another. 
d'onde — ingegnarsi* — cacciare altrui 

31. Though it cost nothing, it affords much more profit 
ancora che (2) (1) — essere — — utile 

to others than to us. 
— altrui che * 

32. That which you complain of, I have myself 
quello che (2) (3) dolersi*(4) (1) OV — * (2) 

done. 

0) 



48 



CHAP. VIII. 



OF ADJECTIVES. 



Potere umano, 
Anima umana, 
Uomo cortese, 
Donna cortese. 



- Human power. 

- Human soul. 

- Courteous man. 

- Courteous woman. 



The adjective ending in o, changes its termination 
into a, when it qualifies a feminine noun; but that 
which ends in e, does not change its last vowel on 
account of the gender. The former, therefore, has two 
terminations in the plural: occhineri, black eyes; vesti 
nere, black clothes ; and the latter only one : dolci pen- 
sieri, pleasant thoughts; dolci parole, soft words. The 
method of forming the plural, has been already given 
in the Chapter on Number. 



1. Questa notte far a piu 
fresco, B. 

2. Forte gridd. D. 

3. Questa sard hella ! F. 

4. Umana cosa ^ aver com- 

passione degli afflitti. B. 

5. 1 costumi e le usanze degli 

uomini grossi gli eran 
piu a grado che le citta- 
dine, B. 

6. Ed un ch' avea I' una e 

Valtra man mozza, D. 



To-night it will be cooler 
(than yesterday). 

He cried aloud. 

It would be a pleasant jest! 

It is natural for man to have 
pity upon the afflicted. 

The customs and manners of 
the country people were 
more agreeable to him 
than those of the citizens. 

And one who had both hands 
cut off. 



The adjective is often employed without its sub- 
stantive; and it then agrees in termination with its 
noun understood. In the first example, the word 
tempo, weather; and in the second, tiiono, tone, mas- 



49 

culine nouns, are understood; and therefore the ad- 
jectives have a masculine termination. In the third 
example, the adjectives end in a, because they are 
applied to baia, jest^ a feminine noun. In the fourth, 
the adjective afflitti qualifies the noun uomini. And 
here we have to observe, that when an adjective in 
English, employed without a substantive, is applied 
to a class of men, or to a whole species of animals, 
it must, in Italian, take the plural termination. 

When an adjective qualifies two substantives, it ge- 
nerally agrees with that nearest to it ; as, in the fifth 
example, the adjective cittadine, which agrees with 
usanze. If the two substantives are in the singular, 
and of the same gender, as in the sixth example, 
the adjective may be put either in the singular, as in 
that example, or in the plural -, for instance, Vuna e 
Valtra man mozze; but if the substantives be not of 
the same gender, the adjective most usually agrees 
with the nearer, as avea una mano, e il naso tronco. 

Some adjectives, as grande, great; hello, fine; santo, 
holy; imo, one; alcuno, somebody; are shortened into 
gran, bel, san, un, alcun, before the masculine nouns 
beginning with a consonant ; except when s initial is 
followed by another consonant. 

Adjectives of Quantity, 
Molto, much, many, or very. 

Tanto, so, so much, so many, so long, so great, or, so far. 

Troppo, too, too much, or, too many. 
Quanta, how much, how many, how long, or, how great. 

Alquanto, } <'«^' "^ ""'^• 



H 



50 



II. 



1. In tanta afflizione e mise- 

via, era Vautoritd delle 
leggi quasi caduta. B. 

2. Aveva molta gente sotto 

di se. B. 

3. In pochi anni grandis- 

sima quantitd di denari 
avanzarono. B. 

4. Quante cose gli si promet- 

tono! B. 

5. Questofatto h nolo a molti. 

F. 



In so much affliction and mi- 
sery, the authority of the 
laws was nearly lost. 

He had many people under 
him. 

In a few years they accumu- 
lated a g-reat deal of mo- 
ney. 

How many things are pro- 
mised him I 

This fact is known to many. 



These adjectives are subject to the changes of the 
last vowel already specified, as appears from the 
above examples ; and from the last, we see that they 
are also employed occasionally without a substantive, 
especially when the adjective refers to the word 
uomini. 

III. 

1 . La giovane era poco av- The young- girl was not very 

veduta. B. clever. 

2. Era la casa sopra il mare, The house was situated upon 

e alta molto, B. the sea-shore, and was 

very lofty. 

3. Alquanto di violenza. F. A little violence. 

4. Un poco di noia. B. A little pain. 

The adjective poco, in the first example, and molto, 
in the second, show that these words do not change 
when they modify an adjective; namely, when they 
express intention, or remission of quality; a masculine 
substantive being then understood. In the first ex- 
ample, for instance, the noun grado, degree, and in 
the second, spazio, space, are understood ; namely, la 
giovane era avvednta in poco grado; la casa era alta 



61 

per molto tratto, o spazio. Thus the simple rule will 
be — if the adjectives, molto y poco, tanto, troppo, &c. 
are followed by a substantive, they must agree with it 
in gender and number; if followed by another adjective, 
they should retain the form of the singular masculine. 

Whenever the word little is preceded by the particle 
a, it ought, in Italian also, to be expressed, if, as in 
the fourth example, we employ the adjective poco; 
but if, as in the third, we use alquanto, that particle 
cannot be translated. As appears from these exam- 
ples, both the words poco and alquanto retain, in that 
case, their termination in o, although preceding a femi- 
nine noun, because they refer to one understood; and 
must be followed by the preposition di, the sign of 
the qualification of the implied noun ', unless the ex- 
pression, a little, be applied to an adjective, as " a 
little sorry," un poco, or alquanto dolente. The dif- 
ference between the two expressions, mi da poca noia, 
it gives me little pain, and mi dd un poco di noia, it 
gives me a little pain, is that, in the former, the mean- 
ing is, in some measure, negative — in the latter^, affir- 
mative. 

Observe, that if we apply th« negative form to a 
noun in the plural, as, " thou wilt leave but few com- 
panions," we make use in Italian of poco, thus : pochi 
compagni avrai; but if we employ the affirmative with 
a plural noun, as, "having requested a few young 
noblemen,'* alquanto is in that case preferable; W- 
chesti alquanti nohili giovani. 



II 2 



52 



IV. 

1. Ella il pianse assai, e She bewailed him very much, 

assai volte in vano il and called upon him many 

chiamd. B. times in vain. 

2. Piu giorni felicemente na- They sailed prosperously dur- 

vigarono. B. ing- several days. 

3. Non poteva far cosa che He could not do a thing less 

meritasse manco scusa. deserving of pardon. 

Caro. 

The words piii, several ; assai, much or many ; meno 
or manco, less, are also used as adjectives of quantity; 
but they are more properly adverbs, and therefore 
invariable. 

The adjective is placed before or after the substan- 
tive, according to the signification, and sometimes to 
the harmony, of the sentence. 



EXERCISE IV. 



1. Afterwards he inquired of him how long 

appresso domandare(2) i7(l) * tempo 

it was since he had confessed. 

— che — fosse (2^ confessarsi (\) 

2. In short, I went so much farther, that I arrived 
— brieve — — — addentro — — pervenire 

in India, where I saw the feathered race flying, 

— — — (2) pennato(3)* volare(l) 

a thing incredible to those who have never seen it. 
— — — chi non gli avesse veduti 

3. They had sometimes so great a desire to laugh, 

— alcuna volta * voglia — — 

that they hardly could restrain themselves (from it). 
— afatica potere tenere — ne 

4. The night was so dark, that they could scarcely see 

— — — * — * che appena si sarebbe potuto veder 

one another in the street. 
I'un Valtro per — via 



5. She was no less adorned with noble manners than 
— — non — ornato* * cortese* costume die 

with beauty. 

* bellezza 

6. You, as a clever man, may easily know 

— co7ne(2) savio{^) (4) (1) agevolmente — 

how great is the frailty of men and women. 
* sia — fragilita — * — — * donna 

7. The sides were nearly enclosed with white and 

— latorai — quasi chiuso * bianco * (2) (3) 

red rose-trees. 

vermiglio (4) * rosaio (1 ) 

8. They gave me so much trouble, that I left off 

davano * * seccaggine lasciare stare 

the work. 

— lavorio 

9. The queen then, a little ang-ry, though all the 

— reina allora * turbato * quantunque * — 

others laughed, said, leave off jesting. 
* ridessero — — — il motteggiare 

10. When a small portion of the night was spent, 
poi che * — — — — trapassato * 

every one went to take repose. 
ciascuno andarsi* — riposare 

11. I will tell you a tale which shall not be too long. 

— dire * — novella che — — * * 

12. My houses, and the public places of Rome, are 
le mie — — — luogo pubblico * — — — 

filled with the statues of my ancestors. 
pieno * * — immagine — i miei maggiore 

13. 1 am forced to do two things very much against 
mi conviene far — — * contrario * 

my inclination. 
a' miei costumi 

14. The plain was surrounded with six hillocks of 

— piano — intorniato * - 

moderate height. 
non troppo * altezza 



t This word is in the feminine plural. 



54 

15. These declivities were all covered with vines, olives, 
questo * piaggia — * pieno * * vigna ulivo 

almonds, cherries, figs, and many other kinds of 



mandorlo ciriegio 


fico — assai • maniera 


_- 


fruit - trees. 
albero fruttifero * 






16. Certain manners 
* costume 


are proper and commendable 
— idoneo* — laudabile* 


at 
ad 


one ag-e, which 
uno* etd die 


are improper and blaraeable 
— sconcio* — biasimevole * 


at 
ad 


another. 
altro * 







17. Finding- his affairs much embarrassed, he resolved to 
sentire lifatti suoi * intralciato* pensare 

commit them to the care of several persons. 
(2) quegli{\) — * persona 

18. To turn him out of our house so unwell, would be a 

* mandarlo fuori — (2) (1) cost infermo — 

manifest proof of little prudence. 
— segno — * senno 

19. I see no way /of escaping- so great an 
(5) niuno (2) (3) aperto (4) \ a fuggire * 

injury of fortune,\ but by relying on the strength 

— — — /(I) «e non — virtu 
of our minds and of our swords. 
—' i — animo — — le — destra 

20. There he found a worthy woman, very old. 
quivi — uno * buono * donna * attempato * 

21. I will cause to be prepared for you a certain distilled 
— vi faro fare — * stillato (2) 

liquor, very good, and very pleasant to drink. 
bevanda (1) * * -^ * piacevole a bere 

22. Having remained a few days in the town, and having 

essere dimorare * giorno — — — 

heard many things of this man 's avarice, he wished 
udire * — — costui * — volere (2) 

to see him. 
(3) t7(l) 



55 

23. They made so ^reat a noise in praise of Saint Henry, 

" fare * romore — lode — santo Arrigo 

that thunder would not have been heard. 

— tuono non si sarehhe potuto udire 

24. These are foolish complaints, and proceeding- 
questo{4.) (3) sciocco (\)* lamentansa(2) — procedente* 

from little reflection. 

— * consider azione 

25. Heaven forbid, that so much baseness should ever 

(2) iogliere(\) — * villa in Romano 

enter the breast of a Roman. 
spirit alb er gar possa giammai 

26. In so great a tumult and concourse of people, it 

— * — — discorrimento — popolo 

happened that three of our citizens arrived at Trevisa. 
avvenire — — * — giungere in Trevigi 

27. She never talked of any thing- else but the lives 

no7i mai ragionare — altro che* — vita 

of the holy fathers, and the w^ounds of Saint Francis. 
* — — * — piaga — * — 

28. She was so obedient and so oblig-ing to her 

— * — (4) *(5) serventele) (1) il (2) 

husband, and to her subjects so g-racious 
(3) — verso i suddito * * 

and condescending-, that he thought himself the 

— * benigno* che — tenere * — 

happiest man in the world. 
pill contento — di — — 

29. He was said to hold some of the doctrines of 
si diceva che egli tenesse alquanto — — opinione — 

the Epicurean. 

— Epicurio * 

30. The bride was little pleased with such an incidento 

— sposa — * contento* * tal ventura 



56 

CHAP. IX. 

OF AUGMENTATIVES AND DIMINUTIVES. 

Among the remarkable peculiarities in nouns of 
the Italian language, there are some alterations intro- 
duced by custom, to express a modification of the 
primitive idea, by increase of one or more syllables ; 
a nicety which could only be expressed by an ad- 
jective, and, in many cases, by several words only. 

AUGMENTATIVES. 

I. 

1. E vedemmo a mancina un And we beheld a larg-e rock 

gran petrone. D. on the left hand. 

2. lo m'accorsi die 'I monte I perceived that the mountain 

era scemo, a guisa che i was hollow, like large 

VALLONi sceman quid. vales in this country. 

D. 

Augmentatives are formed by changing the last 
vowel of the substantive into one. Pietra and valle 
are the substantives corresponding with rock and vale: 
by augmenting them into petrone and vallone, we com- 
municate to them the idea of size and extent. These 
qualities are usually considered as appertaining to the 
male kind ; but if the noun to which we add the ter- 
mination be feminine, it hence becomes masculine. In 
the above examples, therefore, from pietra and valle 
of the feminine gender, we make two masculine nouns, 
by changing them into petrone and vallone. Every 
noun, without exception, admits of this alteration. 
The adjective gran, applied to petrone, in the first 
example, shows that, although the idea of greatness 
is implied in the augmentative, we may yet strengthen 
it by an adjective. 



57 



IL 

1. Io\m*assettai in su quelle I set myself upon those larg-e 

SPALLACCE. D. ug-ly shoulders. 

2. lo duhiterei che una di I should think that one of 

queste femminacce non those contemptible wo- 

gli avesse fatta qualche men has wrought some 

malia, G. witchcraft upon him. 

3. La trovo nel disfare un He found it in demolishing- 

suo CASOLARACCio. G. an ugly old house of his. 

By changing the last vowel of the noun into accio 
and accia, we form another description of augmenta- 
tive, implying not only the idea of greatness, but that 
also of ugliness and contempt ; as the sound of those 
terminations expresses by itself. Every noun admits 
of this alteration likewise, without any exception. 

The terminations azzo and astro, also express con- 
tempt : as, popolazzo, populace, from popolo, people ; 
giovanastro, contemptible young man, from giovane, 
youth. They are applied to the feminine by changing 
the final o into a. 

Besides some other terminations which are used as 
augmentatives (as, haciozzo, kiss of a peasant, from 
haciOy kiss; giovanotto, a tall young man), adjectives 
are also susceptible of similar modifications: 3,s,gran- 
daccio, of a disproportionate height 5 grassotto, rather 
fat ; frescozzo, or frescoccia, very fresh, from grande, 
grasso, fresca, tall, fat, fresh. Time and study alone 
can render foreigners fully acquainted with their pre- 
cise signification and value. Giovanotto, for instance, 
may also imply a young man, lusty, strong, and vi- 
gorous ; forese, signifies a country-woman ; foresozza, 
a fresh and well-formed country- girl 3 vecchio, an old 
man; vecchiotto, a lusty old man, &c. 



58 



DIMINUTIVES. 



1. Non se nefarebbe uno sco- 

DELLiNO (scodella*) di 
salsa, B. 

2. Presero inverso un giar- 

DTNETTO (giardino) la 
via, B. 

3. Corsi al palude, e le can- 

NUCCE (canna) e 7 braco 
m'impigliar si, ch' i' 
caddi, D. 

4. SI Tisicuzzo (tisico) e 

tristansuol mi parete. 
B. 

5. Avendo quello a che ella 

aveva teso il lacciuolo 
(laccio), B. 

6. Era un buono omicciuolo 

(uomo) d'un loro bellis- 

simo giardino ortolano, 

B. 

7. E quel sen venne a riva 

con un VASELLO (vaso) 
snelletto e leggiero. D. 

8. Per correr miglior acqua 

alsa le vele omai la na- 
viCELLA (nave) del mio 
ingegno. D. 

9. Quante volte f ho to detto, 

PAZZERELLA (pazza)che 
tu se' . ., F. 



One could not extract from 
it a little cup of juice. 

They took a walk towards a 
little garden. 

I ran to the marsh, where 
the rushes and the mud 
entangled me so much, 
that I fell. 

You appear to me so spare 
and thin. 

Having that for which she 
had spread the net. 

A good little man was the 
gardener of a very fine 
garden belonging to them. 

And he came ashore with a 
little boat, swift and light. 

The barque of my imagination 
now raises its sails to run 
over a better sea. 

How many times did I tell 
you, little fool that you 
are . . . 



The above terminations are most frequently used as 
diminutives. The peculiar force of each, will appear 
by the following description, translated from the Gram- 
mar of Biagioli. 

The first termination, ino, expresses not only the 

littleness of the object, but sometimes also that afiec- 

tion and tenderness with which Nature inspires us for 

beings who have the greatest need of our assistance. 

* The word between parentheses is the original. 



59 

Observe, that nouns so modified, convey to our ima- 
gination some peculiar grace or charm in the objects 
to which they are applied, and this idea the cadence 
itself supports. 

The second, etto, may express — 1. Simply an idea 
of littleness, as in the form giardinetto, of the second 
example.— 2. It may express both littleness and grace, 
as in this example of Dante : per le sorrise parolette 
brevi; by these short and gracious words, attended 
with a smile. — 3. It may be expressive both of lit- 
tleness and contempt, as in mnetto, a little man, in the 
following example from Caro : Chi e questo ometto che 
ci e venuto a dir villania in casa nostra? Who is that 
contemptible little man that came to our house and 
abused us ? 

The third, iiccio, denotes littleness ; but it may also 
represent an idea either of contempt or of grace. Dante 
gives us an example of the first meaning, in the word 
cannucce, of the third example. Matte o Villani gives 
us an example of the second in the word cappelliiccio, 
saying, con vil cappeUuccio ; with a mean little hat. 
Lastly, Boccaccio offers us an example of the third 
modification, when he says, con una boccuccia picco- 
Una; with a pretty little mouth. 

The fourth, uzzo, used as a sign of littleness, with 
regard to persons, indicates an excessive leanness; 
but it may also be the expression of grace. It con- 
veys the first idea in the form tisicnzzo, in the fourth 
example of Boccaccio. The other is apparent in the 
word occhiuzzo, diminutive of occhio, in the following 
example, taken from the Fiera of Buonarroti : Ha ella 
pill quegli occliiuzzi rihaldi che mifer pazziar? Has she 
still those little malicious eyes which made a fool of 
me? 

i2 



60 

The fifth, uolOf marks smallness and contempt; 
Boccaccio affords the first signification, in the word 
lacciuolo, of the fifth example; and expresses the 
second in the following sentence : Mercatantuolo, di 
quattro denari ch' egli e! Shabby merchant, not worth 
a groat ! 

The sixth, icciuolo, signifies smallness ; but it may 
also express little value attached to the person thus 
qualified. Ariosto gives us the first signification, in 
the word omicciuolo; he says, Gli dimostro il bruttissimo 
omicciuolo ; He showed him the very ugly little man : 
and Boccaccio expresses the other by the word omic- 
ciuolo, of the sixth example. 

The seventh, ello, may express simply an idea of 
insignificance, or of contempt for the person so qua- 
lified. Dante gives the first meaning, in the word 
vasello, Firenzuola affords us the other signification, 
by the word procuratorello, a mean attorney, in the pas- 
sage, Che direte d'un certo procuratorello, il quale ella 
fece diventare un montone? What will you say of a 
certain mean attorney, whom she metamorphosed into 
a sheep ? 

The eighth, iceZ/o," may express — 1. Merely small- 
ness. — 2. Contempt. — 3. A certain interest for the 
individual. The first signification is given by Dante, 
in the w^ord navicella, of the eighth example; the 
second by Boccaccio, in the word fraticello, little 
monk, by saying, un fraticello pazzo, a mad and con- 
temptible monk ; and the last in the same word by Pe- 
trarch : e i nerifraticelli, e i bigi, e i hianchi; and the 
poor monks, the black, the brown, and the white. 

The ninth, erello, may denote simply the littleness 
of an object, and also its slightness. Redi affords us 
the first example, in the word coserella, a little things 



61 

as thus, I lihri son tutte coserelle stampate in questa 
citta; The books are all trifles, printed in this town. 
Firenzuola gives us the second, in the yt oxdi pazzerella, 
a little fool, in the ninth sentence. 

There is yet another termination, icciatto, or icciat- 
tolo, and which marks the most thorough contempt. 
Crusca produces the following example: Egli e un 
certo omicciatto, che non e nessun di voi che veggen- 
dolo, non Vavesse a noia; He is a little man, so con- 
temptible, that there is none of you, who, on seeing 
him, would not be disgusted with him. 

Sometimes a noun altered by one of these termina- 
tions, changes its gender. In the first example, for 
instance, from scodella, feminine, we have formed sco-- 
dellino, a masculine noun ; so, from hotte, cask, hotti- 
cello, a little cask ; and some others. 

The terminations one and accio, of the first and se- 
cond paragraph of augmentatives, may be applied to 
every word. But it is impossible to establish rules for 
diminutives ; one modification is more proper for one 
word than for another, either from its harmony, or 
from custom ; and by practice alone can we acquire a 
correct taste in the application. For this reason, there- 
fore, in the following exercise, the proper termina- 
tions, excepting the two last mentioned, will be placed 
under the English adjective; and, by substituting them 
for the final vowel of the noun, the student will form 
the augmentatives and the diminutives. 



62 



EXERCISE V. 

1. My child, thou art now rather tall. 
figliuol mio — — oggimai (icello) grande. 

2. He who rides before, is a youth, 
questi che cavalcareQl^ avanti(^i') — — - gicvinetto 

a relation of ours. 
nostra parente 

3. The girl broug-ht him to the house of 

— (icella fante) €ondurre(2) il(l) — casa —^ 
this man. 
costui 

4. Now there was by chance a poor little woman 

allora(2) (1) — awentura ( etta) femmina 

on the shore. 

a — marina 

5. He knew perfectly both the place and the little 

— sapere ottimamente — luogo — — (icella J 
tower. 

6. If you are content to leave this little childt 

— — contentarsi* — lasciare questo* (etta) Jigliuola 
with me, I will willing-ly take her. 

appresso di (3) prendere(2) la (I) 

7. As they travelled along, talking of various things, 

camminando insieme e ragionare — — — 

they came into a large solitary vale, surrounded 
pervenire — — * (2) (1) e chiuso 

with high grottos. 
* 

t When a word containing the syllahle mo, suffers an alteration, the accent 
which is upon the o, passes to a following vowel; and for that reason, 
the u of the radical is taken off. Thus, from uomo, figliuolo^ we make 
omettOy omuzzoy &c. figlioletto, figliolino, &c. ; from gmoco, play, nuoto, 
swimming, we say, giocoso, pleasant, notare, to swim. The syllable 
ie is sometimes subject to this alteration ; for instance, pietruy stone, 
from the authorities, Dante and Boccaccio, makes petronc, petrina, pe- 
truzza. 



63 

8. The lady being* left alone, disconsolate, as soon 

— donna rimaso* — e sconsolato 

as the nig-ht set in, went to a little 

come — — fu venuta andarsene * — — (ettaj 

neig'hbouring' village. 
vicino (2) villa ( 1 ) 

9. You see he is a great, ugly, stupid 

vedere che un cotal * sciocco (2) 

fellow, who has outgrown his wit. 
giovane^l) cresciuto avanti a ilf senno 

10. Though he was covetous, he yet possessed some 
quantunque fosse (2) (1) avendo in se alcuna 

small sparks of gentility, and received Pietro with 
(uzsaj favilla — gentilezza — — — 

very friendly words and a cheerful countenance. 
assm(2) amichevole(S) (1) lieto viso 

11. We are here near a well, where there is usually 
— — qui presso a — — al quale suole sempre essere 

a pulley, and a very large pail. 
la carrucola — — gran * secchia 

12. If it were agreeable to you and my father, I 
quando piacere(5) * (4) (3) mio(l) (2) — 

would gladly have a little bed made 

volentieri (2) fare (I) (4) ficelloj (5) /are (3) 
on the terrace. 
in su — verone 

13. Oh, you would think her a very large and fine woman. 

oh ella vi parrehbe la (accia) hello femmina 

14. Seeing about twenty persons kneeling before a 

— fo7'se — — ginocchioni innanzi a — 
small altar, I asked one of them what sort of 
(ino) — domandare — — loro che 
devotion it was. 

— quellaQl) (\) 

15. Let me remove this small nosegay that I 
lascia * levar questo (olino) mazzo di fiori che — 

have in my cap, which the lady has given me. 
la berretta che — dama(5) (2) donati(3) *(1) 

t When one of the prepositions mentioned in page 24, is separated, in 
the exercises, from the article, it is for the student to unite the two words. 



64 

16. Last nig-lil he broke open the house of a poor little 

stanotte e' rompere — uscio a (icciuola) 

woman. 
donna 

17. Ah, impudent liar! he has the audacity to look at me, 

ah (one) hugiardo — mi guar da anche 

insolent scoundrel ! 
(accioj sfacciato 

18. Every part was strewed with sweet-smelling- little 

ogni cosa — seminato — odoroso(2) (uccia) 

herbs, and pretty flowers. 
erba(\) — he' fiore 

19. The same day, having- had a small cask filled 
quel medesimo di fatto — (icello) hotte riempiere 

with wine, he sent it to his house. 
* vino ilfece portare — (2) (1) 

20. He had put some little stones into his 
— s* aveva messe alcuno * (usza) pietra — 

mouth. 



21. If you continue in your obstinacy, I 
dove — steste duro in su la vostro * — — 

shall think you a g-reat blockhead. 
avrei per — — * sciocco 

22. He threw upon it the coarse cloth of a 

gittare (2) sopra (3) vi (^1} un * panno 

, large sack. 
* 

23. He opened a little door which was there, and 

— — (uolo) uscio il quale (2) v' (\) — 

went down into the cave. 
discendere (a) (1) (2) grotta(d>) 

24. I had not even the slightest thought of doing 
— — — pure un fuzzo) — — fare 

what you say. 
quello che — — 

25. Know that I was then a little boy. 
sapere — — — allora piccolino 



65 



CHAP. X. 



OF COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES. 



COMPARATIVES OF EQUALITY. 



Words employed to mark such Comparisons, 



First Term. 
cost, - as, or so ; 
sij - - as, or so ; 
cost tosto, as soon ; 
cost pill tosto, as soon ; 



Second Term. 
come, - as. 

come, - as. 

come tosto, as. 
come piu tosto, as. 



as. 



*„ * (as, or so much,) 

quanto piu, the more ; tanto piu, - the more. 

quanto meno, the less ; tanto meno, the less. 

tanto piu - so much more; quanto piu, as much more. 



I. 



1. lo mi credo che cosi sia 

come voi mifavellate. B. 

2. lo non son si vecchio come 

vi pare, B. 

3. Foi won ve ne avvedeste 

cosi tosto come ha fatto 
egli. B. 

4. Verrete come piti tosto 

potrete, B. 



I believe it is as you tell me. 

I am not so old as you sup- 
pose. 

You did not perceive it so 
soon as he did. 

You will come as soon as 
you can. 



From the above examples, we see that, in a com- 
parison of equality, the term corresponding with si or 
cost, is come. If the word tosto or piii tosto be added 
to the form of comparison, it must be omitted either 
the first or second time, to give greater rapidity to the 

K 



expression. Then, in the third example, tosto is 
omitted in the second form ; and in the fourth, the 
first form of the comparison, cost piii tosto, is under- 
stood. 

II. 

1. Di questo mondo ha cia- 

scun tanto, quanto egli 
se ne toglie. B. 

2. lo v' attendei^o quanto vi 

sard a grado. B. 

3. Quanto piii io uso con voi, 

tanto piti mi parete sa- 
vio, B. 

4. £'piu tanto sono essi ancor 

migliori, quanto son piu 
vicini al pastor princi' 
pale. B. 



Of this world, every one en- 
joys as much as he is 
able. 

I will wait for you as long aa 
you please. 

The more I live with you, 
the wiser I find you. 

They are so much belter as 
they are nearer to the 
principal pastor. 



5. Quanti nella sala erano 

parevano uomini adorn- 
braii. B. 

6. Fede portai al glorioso 

ujfflsio tanto, ch' i' ne 

perde' le vene e i' polsi, 

D. 



All the persons in the room 
seemed converted to sta- 
tues. 

I exercised my office so faith- 
fully, that it caused the 
loss of my life. 



The first example shows that the term answering to 
the adjective tanto, when it marks comparison, must 
be quanto. From the second we learn that, if it be 
immediately followed by quanto, the former is omitted, 
unless it be emphatical, as in the first example. Like- 
wise, the expressions quanto piii, quanto meno, have 
for their correlatives, tanto piu, tanto meno; as appears 
by the third and fourth examples. The expression 
of the third is inverted, and when the English sentence 
begins with the more, the first term in Italian must be 
quanto piu. The adverbs piii and meno are not to be 
expressed, if the comparison fall upon adjectives in 
themselves implying comparison ; for instance, tanto 



67 

maggiore, quanto maggiore, the greater; although, in 
order to force the comparison, Boccaccio says in the 
fourth example, tanto piu migliori. To feel the weight 
of the adjective quanti, of the fifth example, it is neces- 
sary to restore the words omitted by ellipsis, viz. 
(tanti uominij quanti (erano quelli die) erano nella 
sola (tutti) parevano, &c. from which we learn that 
quanti may supply the English words, all the people 
who, all the persons who, &c. 

The sixth example is given, to show the student that 
if the word tanto denote excess, namely, when the 
expressions so, so much, so long, &c. are followed by 
that, instead of than, the former is to be supplied in 
Italian by che, and not by quanto. 

The words cosi, come, are used to express compa^ 
rison of the quality of objects; tanto, quanto, express- 
ing comparison of quantity. In the English language, 
the forms so and as are used in both comparisons ; and 
to give a simple rule for the proper use of these Italian 
terms, we shall observe that, if the particles as and so 
are followed by the words many, much, &c. we should 
employ tanto, quanto; but if not, cosl, come, must be 
used. The word such, employed for so, before an ad- 
jective, and for so great, so much, &c. before a sub- 
s^tantive, are translated by cost, si, tanto; as, for in- 
stance. He was such a vile man. Era si malvagio uomo; 
They made such a noise, Facevano tanto romore, &c. 



Comparisons of Superiority and Inferiority. 



III. 



1 . Chi starebbe meg-lio di me, 

se quegli denari fosser 
mieii B. 

2. Valeva piu di tre mila 

lire, B, 

3. Voi potreste esser caduto 

in mag'g'ior pericolo di 
questo. B. 

4. Eir ^ piu innamorata che 

savia, B. 

5. Tutti e tre a Firense piu 

che mai strabocchevol- 
mente spendevano. B. 

6. il me era assai piu a grado 

la morte che t7 |?ii^ vi- 
vere. B. 

7. Ti^^fe le sense che allega 

sono piu brutte che *7 
/a^^o stesso. Caro. 

8. Jo .9fo meg-lio che npn state 

voi. B. 



Who would be luckier than 
1, if that money were 
mine? 

It cost more than two thou- 
sand pounds. 

You mig-ht have incurred a 
greater dang-er than this. 

She is more enamoured than 
wise. 

At Florence they were all 
three more extravag-ant 
tuan ever. 

Death would have been much 
r/iore welcome to me than 
life. 

All the excuses which he 
makes, are more shameful 
than the action itself. 

I am better than you are. 



Some adjectives express comparison only by them- 
selves ; as maggiore, elder or greater ; minore, younger 
or less; migliore, better; peggiore, worse. Also the 
adverbs meglio, better; peggio, worse. In every other 
case, the comparative is formed by applying the ad- 
verbs piii and meno, more and less, to the adjective, 
and its correlative form may be di or che; upon which 
two forms, as they are differently employed, we shall 
give the following rule : If the second particle of the 
comparison, than, is applied to a personal noun, a 
pronoun, a demonstrative, or a numeral adjective, the 
preposition di must supply thaiiy as may be observed 
in the three first examples ; if the second term of com- 



60 

parison be an adjective, an adverb, or any other 
word, except the three above-mentioned, the particle 
than must be translated by che. As appears from 
the last example, than is rendered by che, even be- 
fore a pronoun, if it represent the subject of a verb 
expressed. 

For those, however, who may wish to look at the 
nature and causes of things, I shall here enlarge upon 
the subject. We shall, in the first place, establish that 
the word che* is but the word which, an adjective ge- 
nerally relative to questo or quello, this or that. Besides, 
in comparisons of superiority and inferiority, there is 
always the idea, messo a fronte, that is, put in com- 
parison with, or, set in opposition to, either expressed 
or understood. Then, by supplying, in such compa- 
rative propositions, the words omitted by virtue of 
ellipsis, we shall see that the second term of the com- 
parison is subject to variety, by means of the connec- 
tion of words, and is represented by che, when the 
expression a fronte di (which cannot be applied to a 
verb, an adjective, or an adverb) wants the support of 
the demonstrative quello. The following is the analysis 
and entire signification of the above-mentioned sen- 
tences : 1. Chi starebbe meglio (messo a fronte) di me; 
— 2. Valeva piu (il suo valore essendo messo a fronte) di 
tre mila lire; — 3. Voi potreste esser caduto in maggior 
pericolo (quello supposto essendo messo a fronte) di 
questo; — 4. Ella e piii innamorata (questo stato messo 
a fronte di quello in) che (e) savia; — 5. Tutti e tre 
spendevano piu (lo spendere d'allora essendo messo a 
fronte di quello) che (facessero) mai; i. e. in alcuno 
altro tempo; — 6. A me era assai piii a grado la morte 
{il piacere essendo messo a fronte di quello) che il piii 

* See Chap. XXVJI. Of Conjunctions. 



70 

vivere (mi fosse); — 7. Tutte le sense che allega sono piu 
brutte (messe a fronte di quello) che il fatto stesso (e); 
— 8. lo sto meglio (il mio stato essendo messo a fronte di 
quello in) che non* state voi, 

IV. 

1. I suoi ragionamenti sono His discourses have been ^owgr 

stati piu lunghi che io er than I expected. 

non m' aspettava. Caro, 

2. Priegovi che non mi vo^ I beg- of you not to insult me 

gliate ingiuriare piu di more than you have done, 

quello che vi abbiatefatto, 
F. 

3. Non jia men creduto a me I will be trusted no less than 

che a voi, B. you. 

4. Questa cosa non si pud This can be kept no longer 

tener piu segreta. G. a secret. 

5. Disse alia huonafemmina He told the good w^oman 

che piu di cassa non that he had no farther 

avea bisogno. B. use for the chest. 

When the second term of comparison is represented 
by a sentence, the particle than, may be supplied 
equally by the words che non, as in the first example, 
and by the expression di quello che, as in the second. 
The former is always attended with the negative, be- 
cause, in fact, our expectation, supposition, or desire, 
is then negative ; viz. contrary to what happens. My 
meaning here is, that, in the first sentence, by the ne- 
gative non, the Italians express an idea which is sup- 
posed in English, the negative being always implied in 
the word than; for the expression, "his discourses 
have been longer than I expected," is equivalent to 
" his discourses have been long ; nay, I did not expect 
that they would be so long." Likewise, in this example 

* The cause of this negative is given in the next rule. 



71 

from Boccaccio, bevendo piii cite non avrebbe voluto, 
the expression, " drinkiog more than he wished," 
answers to " and he drank a good deal ; nay, he did 
not wish to drink so much." In the same way we 
might prove that tlie term than always implies a ne- 
gative proposition, and therefore corresponds with che 
non. 

The third example shows that, whenever the nega- 
tive precedes the adverbs, less, more, farther, &c. it 
must in Italian be placed before the verb. 

In the fourth and fifth examples, the word piu re- 
presents the first part of a comparison; the second 
term is understood in both languages. The full con- 
struction of that comparison is, per uno spazio di tempo 
piu lungo di quello che e scorso. The word piii is, there- 
fore, sufficient to supply the comparatives, longer, fur- 
ther, SLnd farther, when they signify length of time. It 
is to be observed that, in translating such comparisons, 
the negative is taken from the comparative, and placed 
before the verb ; and if this transposition be already 
effected in English, as, for instance, '' this cannot be 
kept any longer a secret," the word any is not trans- 
lated in Italian. 



1. Faceva le piu belle favole He invented the most plausi- 

del mondo. B. ble stories in the world. 

2. lo sard il miglior marito I will be the best husband in 

del mondo. B. the world. 

3. Egli mi da grandissima He gives me very great trou- 

molestia. B. ble. 

The superlative relative, so termed, because denot- 
ing the highest degree of any quality in an object re- 
latively only to the same description of objects, is 
expressed in Italian by applying the article and the 



72 

adverb pm to the adjective, as in the first example; or 
the article to the comparative, as in the second. 

We perceive from the third, that the superlative, 
termed absolute, is formed in Italian by changing the 
last vowel of the adjective into issimo; and that the 
terminating vowel of the superlative is subject to the 
same rules of gender and number as the primary ad- 
jective in o. If the termination of the adjective be co, 
or go, it changes into cJiissimo and ghissimo in its 
superlative. There are some adjectives which have in 
themselves a superlative signification, as ottimo, per- 
fect; acerrimo, very rude, &c. 

The repetition of an adjective is to be considered as 
a superlative. Firenzuola, for instance, says : con una 
catena lunga lunga, with a very long chain ; but this, 
with greater propriety, may be termed an idiom of our 
language. 

EXERCISE Vt. 

1. You are the happiest woman in the world I 

— — — * avventurato donna — — — 

2. I, who am young, can work better than you, who 
— che — — — faticar — * — — 

are old. 

3. Naples is a very ancient city, and perhaps as pleasant 

_ * (2) (1) — — * dilettevole 

as any other in Italy. 
* alcuno altro — — 

4. Nothing becomes a woman more than 
nulla cosa star f bene (4) in (2) donna (3) (1) — 

courtesy. 



i* I adopt star, not that the verb may be left in the infinitive, but because 
stare bene vi'ould be contrary to the rules of harmony. 



I 



73 

5. My child, not far from hence is a holy man, 
Jigliuol mio — guari lontan cli qui — — — — 

who is a better master in that which thou art 
il quale — — — di cid che — andare 

seeking- than I am. 

6. From certain interrogations^ he knew her to be as 
per — domanda conoscere lei — * 

simple as she appeared. 
— * parere 

7. This man was as much distressed at the death of 

costui rimanere * sconsolato per — — — 

his wife as any other ever was. 
la sua donna * alcuno altro — rimanesse 

8. My weakness did not induce me so much as 
la mia fragilitd — — * * » 

your want of solicitude. 
la vostra poca sollecitudine 

9. She was one of the finest creatures that had ever 

— — — — * bello — — fosse — 

been formed by Nature. 

10. My story will not be concerning- persons of such 
la mia novella — — di gente — si 

high rank as those of whom you have just 

— condi^ione * costoro de' quali — — 

spoken. 
raccontare 

11. Many persons pay as much regard to dreams, as 

— prestare * fede — — * 

they would do to those things which they should see 

prestare — quello — che vedessero 

waking. 
vegghiare 

12. In a short time it became so tame, that it 

— brieve spazio divenire * dimestico * 

never parted from me. 
punto non partirsi * — — 

13. She, who was not less honest than fair, took no account 
ella — — — * hello niente si curava 

of those things, nor of him who did them. 

— quello — — — colui che (2) le{\) 



74 

14. No one is so much a friend as man to himself. 

nullo — piu — * — — * 

15. I would rather have been dead than alive. 

— volere piu tosto — — — * — 

16. The jew mounted on horseback, and as soon as he 

— — — a cavallo — * 

could, went to the court of Rome. 
potere andarsene* in — — — 

17. The more we speak of the chances of fortune, the more 

* si parla — — fatto — — * 

there /remains to be saidx of them. 
\restare a poter dire/(2) ne (1) 

18. We will make that determination which shall appear 

prendere quello partito che parere 

the best to you. 

* * 

19. I have sold the greater part of my lands, 
— — farf vender e * le mie possessione 

and have brought hither as much merchandize as 

— — recare qui * mercatanzia che 

is worth more than two thousand pounds. 
valere * * — mila lira 

20. Death will be more dear to me than life, with 

— — * — * * il vivere — 

consciousness of my baseness. 
rimemhransa — la mia viltd 

21. Certainly I will defend her as much as I can. 
per certo — (2) la(\) * * — potrd 

22. God has been more merciful to you than you have 

— — — * misericordioso di — * — 

been to yourself. 
medesimo 

23. They were the most beautiful and charming children 

— — * bello — X vezzoso fanciullo 

in the world. 



f When there are two verbs for one, the first only must agree with the 
English. 

X The form expressing the superlative, must be repeated before every 
adjective referring to one substantive so qualified. 



75 

24. She confessed that the chamber was made as he 

— — cosi esserfatta la camera * — 

described it. 
dire 

25. I love him more than I love myself. 

— (2) r(l) * * mestesso' 

26. In the middle was a field of very smooth grass, 

— — — — — prato — * minuto — 

coloured with a thousand varieties of flowers, and 
dipinto * mille — — — — 

surrounded with very fine orang-e and cedar-trees. 
chiuso d'intorno — * verde — — cedro 

27. We often see it happen, that the more hope 

— sovente(2) (1) avvenire * — 

decays, the more love increases. 

diventa minore * — maggior farsi 

28. He had one of the most beautiful horses in 

aveva — — — * bello pallafr^eno * 

Tuscany. 

29. Having" taken a light in a small lantern, he 

prendere — lume — — (etta) — 

went into a very long gallery in his palace. 

aindarsene * — — * — casa — il suo — 

30. 1 can conceal it no longer from you. 
— celare lo — * vi 



CHAP. Xl. 

ADJECTIVES OF A PECULIAR KIND. 

Tutto, - all, the whole. Niuno, -^ no, not any, 

Ogni, - every, each. Nessuno, *-^none; nobody, 

Ognuno, -) every one or ^^^^^^> -) or not anybody. 

Ciascuno, - > h ' Nullo, - no, not any. 

Ciascheduno, j ' Niente, - nothing. 

Qualche, - some, any. Chiunque, - whoever. 

Alcuno, - 1 some, any ; Qualunque, ^ 

Qualcuno, - > somebody, or Qualsisia, ->any whatever. 

Qualcheduno , J anybody. Qualsivoglia,} 

l2 



76 



I. 



1. Tutta la corte, B. 

2. Tutta la brigata. B. 

3. Ogni altra cosa sia vo- 

stra. B. 

4. A tutti diceva die suoi 
figliuoli erano. B. 



The whole court. 

All the company. 

Every thing- else may be 
yours. 

He told every body that they 
were his sons. 



In Italian, the noun to which the adjective tutto is 
applied, must always be attended with the article, 
which ought to be placed between the two words. 
Ogni is invariable. When the word tutto is applied 
to men in general, the substantive may be understood 
as in the fourth example. 



II. 



1. Tu dehbi essere qualche 

sciocco. F. 

2. Dopo mlcun giorno riparlb 

alia cameriera. B. 

3. JSssi sono alcuna volta da 

alcuna dinoi cautamente 
heffati. B. 

4. Alcuni erano di piu crudel 

sentimento. B. 

5. Per salvar la vita, senza 

colpa si sono uccisi f al- 
cuni individuij degli 
uomini, B. 



You are certainly a simpleton. 

Some days after, she spoke 
again to her chamber- 
maid. 

They are sometimes imposed 
upon by some of us. 

Some entertained a more cruel 
opinion. 

To save life, some men have 
been killed, without hav- 
ing committed any crime. 



The adjective qualche is invariable, and can only 
designate a single person or object; alamo may be 
employed for one or more persons or objects, and 
varies, therefore, according to the gender and number 
of the noun. The former requires that its noun be 
expressed. With the latter, if the noun be uomo, or 



77 

tiomini, it may be understood, as seen by the fourth 
example. 

It may be remarked in the first example, that the 
Italians use the word qualclie, and sometimes akuno, 
to denote one individual alone, when, in English, the 
particle a is employed. 

As the word alcuno does not merely denote one 
person alone, so it is very often used in the singular 
termination, although it expresses the plural number. 
Thus, in the second and third examples, the expres- 
sions alcun giorno, alcuna volta, alcuna di not, do not 
signify one day, once, one of us, but some days, some- 
times, some of us; so that the word some is frequently 
rendered in Italian by alcuno in Ihe singular. Alcuno 
is used in preference to qualcuno and qualcheduno. 

The adjective alcuno is sometimes omitted in Italian 
as well as its substantive, as in the lifth example; 
especially when the word some is applied to a noun in 
the singular, as in the following sentences: 

Pianger senti' fra'l sonno i I heard my children crying- 
mieifgliuoli, e dimandar in sleep, and asking some 

del pane. D. bread. 

(Dated) del cacio e delle Give us some cheese and 
frutte, e sopra tutto buon fruit, and especially good 

vino. F. wine. 

These examples seem to be in opposition to the 
principle laid down in the Chapter on the Article, 
wherein we state, that the noun, taken in a partitive 
sense, does not admit of the article; but the student 
will recollect, that at the end of the same chapter we 
observed, that the expression partitive sense, is em- 
ployed to use words which, though less precise, might 
appear clearer; as, however abstruse the reason given 
respecting the application of the article to the word 



78 

constancy (page 27), may appear, it is the only one 
which can be called precise; and those only who 
adopt that principle, namely, that the article is ap- 
plied to a noun either when it is determinative or 
determinate, will be able to understand the theory of 
the application of an article. We there remarked, 
that the word constancy is a determinative of the 
generic name virtue; in like manner, in the above 
examples, pane and cacio are determinatives of ciho, 
food, and frutte, of prodotto, production ; and our 
determination, in that case, is intended to distinguish 
those foods and productions from others. In fact, the 
speaker does not apply the article to vino, in the 
second example, because his mind is occupied by the 
quality of the species, and not by the species of the 
generic liquor. I do not expect the student, whenever 
he has to use a noun, to bewilder himself by consider- 
ing in this way, whether or not it requires the article ; 
but I trust that he will endeavour to comprehend the 
reason, why Italians employ the article when it is 
omitted by the English, and vice versa; in order that 
he may profit by practice. 

The literal translation oi Dimandar del pane; Dated 
del cacio e delle/rutte, is. To have of the bread ; Give 
us of the cheese and of the fruit. In this we could 
find no meaning, without supplying those words which 
are implied by the ellipses : i. e. dimandar (alcuna 
porzione) del (ciho) pane; dated (alcuna porzione) 
delle (produzioni) frutte. 

Then, as the word alcuno, some, which the English 
express in similar sentences, is always omitted in 
Italian ; whilst the preposition eft, of, and the article, 
which the Italians express, are, on the contrary, 
omitted in English ; we may conclude that whenever 



79 

the word some is employed to denote a portion of 
something, as when it is applied to those words which 
are most used in the singular, as, pane, bread ; vino, 
wine; acqua, water; grano, corn, &c. the preposition 
di, with the article, supply its place. 

III. 

1. Niuno rimedio veggo. B. I see no remedy. 

2. Non ci ha mandata can- He has sent us no candle. 

dela niuna. B. 

3. Non vo' dir niente. F. I will tell nothing. 

4. Non faro nulla. B. I will do nothing". 

The words niente, nulla, nessuno, niuno, do not ad- 
mit of the negative when preceding the verb ; but it is 
requisite before the verb when followed by those 
words. The first mode of expression is, however, the 
more forcible. The substantive may be omitted when 
the word nulla has reference to cosa, thing, as in the 
fourth example. 

When the word no is applied, either to a plural 
noun, or to one of those which are used only in the 
singular, as, bread, patience, wisdom, &c. it is trans- 
lated in Italian by the simple negative non, placed 
before the verb, thus: "there were no men; he will 
have no patience ; he has no wisdom ;" non c'erano 
uomini; non vuol aver pazienza ; non ha senno. There- 
fore, when this word no is represented by not any, and 
applied to such nouns as the above, viz. He will not 
have any patience, — then any is not translated ; non 
vuol aver pazienza. The adjectives nullo, nessuno, and 
niu7io, being compounded of the negatives non, ne, or 
ni and uno, cannot, therefore, be used in the plural. 



80 



IV. 



Cost detlo licen^io ciascuno. 
B. 

Ognun direbbe, ben li sta 

F. 

Chiunque veniva faceva 
ricevere. B. 

Fuggi i tempestosi mart, 

ateea qualunque altro. 

B. 



Saying- this, he dismissed 
every one. 

Every one would say: he has 
deserved it. 

He desired that whoever 
came should be received. 

Fly from these seas, tempes- 
tuous for thee and for any 
other man whatever. 



Eoth ciascuno and ognuno may be used to signify 
every one, as well as ciascheduno; the latter is, how- 
ever, seldom employed. Chiunque answers to whoever, 
which may also be represented by qualunque: as, when 
Dante says, Qualunque priva se del vostro mondo ; 
Whoever deprives himself of bis life ; but then the 
word uomo is understood, which is implied in chiunque. 
Ognuno and chiunque may be styled pronouns, as they 
stand by themselves. Qualunque is used rather than 
qualsisia and qualsivoglia, to express any whatever^ 
and must be placed before its substantive. 



1 . Una mia vicina mi disse 

che Vuna e I'altra fu 
vera. B. 

2. Si per la sua nobiltd. e si 

per la sua sciensa, cit- 
tadinescamente viveasi. 
B. 

3. PercM me ne incresce, e 

per levar via gli scan- 
dali. F. 

4. Per lo loro senno, o per la 

loro buona ventura. B. 



A neig-hbour of mine told 
me that both stories were 

true. 

Both on account of his rank 
and learning-, he lived as 
became a citizen. 

Both because it grieves me, 
and to prevent scandal. 

Either by their prudence or 
their g-ood fortune. 



The words either^ neither, and both, may be trans- 
lated in Italian by Vuno o V altro, ne Vuno ne r altro y 



81 

Vuno e Valtro, when referring, as in the first ex- 
ample, to something already spoken of; but they 
are not translated when specified by two following 
nouns or sentences, as appears from the third and 
fourth examples. ThQ particle si, repeated as in the 
second example, may supply botJi. Si is one of the 
terms of comparison treated in the preceding chapter ; 
in this case we repeat si, instead of employing come 
for the second term. The diction of the third, omitting 
both, is most frequently employed. Each other is ren- 
dered in Italian by run Valtro; for instance, the three 
(spirits) looked at each other; i tre guatarf Vun 
Valtro; — they said to each other; diceva Vuno alValtro, 



EXERCISE VII. 

1. The worthy man used to come some times to 

— valente — essere usato — — * volta — 

Florence. 

2. Every one took out his ring. 

* produrre — il suo — 

3. Whoever saw him, fled. 

* (2) i7(l) fuggire 

4. He fell in with some persons who seemed to be 

abbattersi* in * li quali parere 

merchants^ and they were highwaymen. 
mercatante — — masnadiere 

+ Guatar, a syncope of guatarojw. In these two examples we remark 
that one verb, gnatar, is in the plural, and the other, diceva, in the sin- 
gular ; for which seeming inconsistency two reasons may be assigned. The 
first is, that in the former instance, the subject is expressed in the plural, 
t ire; whilst, in the latter, it is in tlie singular, as the direct construction 
is, I'uno diceva alValtro. Secondly, by the plural guatar, Dante represents 
the three spirits looking at the same time at each other ; which is not the 
case with Boccaccio, in the other sentence, as they could only speak one at 
a time. 

M 



82 

5. Let none of you dare to touch me, 

* — — essere ardito — — * 

6. The whole people of the town flocked to the house 

* popolo — concorreva — — — 

where his corpse was lying-. 
nella quale il suo — giacere 

7. No one in the world knows it. 

* persona * — — sapere(2') t7(l) 

8. Among-st his other servants, he had a youth, 

fra gli altri suoi famigliari — — giovinetto 

g-enteel, and fit for any thing whatever. 
leggiadro — destro a * — * 

9. God alone knows perfectly what is necessary 
Iddio — sapere ottimamente cid che fare mestieri 

for every one. 
a * 

10. She understood little or nothing- of that languag-e, 

— intendere — — — — quello lingua 

11. Lady Isabella's presence of mind, related by 
madonna — * avvedimento raccontare — 

Pampinea, was admired by the whole 

— — tenere maraviglioso — * 

company. 
hrigata 

12. Seeing- some women dance after the Majorca fashion, 

— * donna hallare a — Maiolica* maniera 

she danced after that of the Alexandrians. 

— — — la maniera Alessandrina 

13. Every part of the house was full of merry feasting^. 

* — — — — — ripieno — lieto festa 

14. Having sat down, they first had some pease 

postisi a tavola pi^imieramente — * cece 
and tunny-fish, and then some fried fish, without 

— * so7'ra — appresso * (2) (I) — 

any thing- else. 
piu 



83 

15. Gentlemen and ladies, it is your custom to send every 

signore — donna — — usanza — — * 

year to the poor brethren of the baron Saint Anthony, 
— — — * — — baron — — 

some of your corn. 
* vostro — 

16. To him who has understanding-, no grief is equal to 
— chi — conoseimento * dolore — pari — 

that of having- lost timet. 
quello — avere (2) (1) 

17. She was considered a saint almost by everyone. 

— tenere — — — — * 

18. Cj'mon was known almost to every one in the country, 
Cimone — nolo — — * di — paese 

both for his rusticity, and his father ^s nobility and 
si — la sua ros^ez^a — * il — * — — 
wealth. 



19. He, who had more desire to eat than sleep, 

— die — maggior voglia — — * — 

asked whether there was any thing- for supper. 
domandare se vi fosse * — da cena 

20. Whoever does otherwise, sins. 

* (2) (I) - 

21. Certainly the learning: of every other man whatever 

certo — dottrina — (2) *(1) 

is tardy, in comparison with thine. 

— — a rispelto di la tua 

22. This must be some trick of his. 
questo dovere — * inganno 

23. Could you tell me of any thing- that has never 
potere — insegnare * * — che mai non 

yet been seen? 
fosse — — 

t To distinguish if the word tempo requires the article in this case, the 
student must consider whether the mind of the speaker intends to designate 
the length of time, or to determine by that word the generic nature of the 
thing lost. See page 27 , the argumentation on the word constajicy. 

m2 



84 

24. In stature and comeliness he exceeded all 
di grande^za — * hellezza di corpo trapassare * 

the other young- men. 

25. This novel afforded very great mirth and pleasure 
questo — porgere * — solla^so — — 

to the whole company. 
— * hrigata 

26. I promise you I will do him no harm. 

— — * che (2) gli(\) * — 

27. I desire and command, that every one may be prepared 

— volere — — — * apparecckiarsi* t 

to treat to-morrow upon what has happily 

di dovere domani ragionare di cib che felicemente 

befallen some lovers, after some cruel and unlucky 
avvenisse a * amante dopo * fiero — sventurato 

accidents. 

accidente 

28. I have a g-reat desire to have some of those pears : 
— — — — — — * — quello pera 

(thou) climb the tree, and throw a few down. 
X montaresu — alhero — gittarne * (2)g-tw(l) 

29. Give the priest some wine from the cask placed 
dare a — — * — di — hotte 

ag-ainst the wall. 
di lungo — — 

30. If I thoug-ht that thou wouldest tell it to no 
dove — credere — — appalesassi (J>) ^(4) (1) *(2) 

person, I would reveal it to thee. 
(3) — insegnare I' — — 

i* See the note to the verb empiere, at the end of the Grammar, in the 
table of the regular verbs ending in ere. 

I The personal noun is added, to show that the verb is in the singular. 



85 



CHAR XII. 



OF NUMERAL ADJECTIVES. 



Cardinal Numbers. 


Ordinal Numbers. 




Uno, 


one. 


Prima, 


first. 


Due, 


two. 


Secondo, 


second. 


Tre, 


three. 


Terzo, 


third. 


Quattro, 


four. 


Quarto, 


fourth. 


Cinque, 


five. 


Quinto, 


fifth. 


Sei, 


six. 


Sesto, 


sixth. 


Sette, 


seven. 


Settimo, 


seventh. 


Otto, 


eight. 


Ottavo, 


eighth. 


Nove, 


nine. 


Nona, 


ninth. 


Died, 


ten. 


Decimo, 


tenth. 


Undid, 


eleven. 


Undecimo, 


eleventh. 


Dodici, 


twelve. 


Duodecimo, 


twelfth. 


Tredici, 


thirteen. 


Decimo terzo. 


thirteenth. 


Quattordici, 


fourteen. 


Decimo quarto. 


fourteenth. 


Quindici, 


fifteen. 


Decimo quinto. 


fifteenth. 


Sedici, 


sixteen. 


Decimo sesto. 


sixteenth. 


Diciassette, 


seventeen. 


Decimo settimo. 


seventeenth. 


Diciotto, 


eighteen. 


Decimo ottavo. 


eighteenth. 


Diciannove, 


nineteen. 


Decimo nono. 


nineteenth 


Venti, 


twenty. 


Ventesimo, 


twentieth. 


Venf uno. 


twenty-one. 


Ventesimo primo, 


twenty-first. 


Ventidue, Sfc. 


twenty-two. 


Ventesimo secondo,&,-i 


?. twenty-second. 


Trenta, 


thirty. 


Trentesimo, 


thirtieth. 


Quaranta, 


forty. 


Quarantesimo, 


fortieth. 


Cinquanta, 


fifty. 


Cinquantesimo, 


fiftieth. 


Sessanta, 


sixty. 


Sessantesimo, 


sixtieth. 


Settanta, 


seventy. 


Settantesimo, 


seventieth. 


Ottanta, 


eighty. 


Ottantesimo, 


eightieth. 


NovantOy 


ninety. 


Novantesimo, 


ninetieth. 


Cento, 


hundred. 


Centesimo, 


hundredth. 


Mille, 


thousand. 


Millesimo, 


thousandth. 


The forms, dodiceshnOy 


twelfth ; tredicesimo, thi 



teenth ; quattordicesimo, fourteenth, &c. are used only 
in familiar language. The placing of the inferior before 
the superior number, as three-and-twe?ity, four-and- 



86 



twenty, &c. is not admitted in Italian : we must say, 
venture, ventiquattro, &c. 



I. 



1. In tutto lo spa^io delta 

sua vita, non ebbe piii che 
una figliuola, B. 

2. Piu tosto un altro uomo 

pareva, che il conte. B. 

3. Faceva sempre ardere 

nella cameretta un gran 
fuoco. B. 

4. Secondo uom di villa (egli 

erafatto), con bella per- 
sona. B. 

5. Con gran pompa entrb in 

cammino. B. 

6. Voi mi dite che siete stato 

mercatante? B. 

7. Parla tu, questi e La- 

tino. D. 

8. /' fui uom d' arme, e poi 

fu' cordigliero. D. 



In the whole course of his 
life, he had no more than 
one daughter. 

The count was nothing* like 
the same person. 

He kept a g-reat fire con- 
stantly in his little room. 

For a country-man, he was 
of a handsome person. 

He set out with a g-oodly 
train. 

You say that you have been 
a merchant ? 

Speak thou : this is an Ita- 
lian. 

I was a military man, and 
then a cordelier. 



The adjective uno may appear under two different 
views; either as a numeral adjective, when we intend 
to express the number rather than the species, as in 
the first example, or as a specific adjective, when our 
intention refers rather to the species of the object 
pointed out, than to the number, as in the second and 
third examples. The fourth and fifth show that, when 
this adjective is specific, it may be understood; in- 
deed, it is expressed only when we intend to mark a 
certain peculiarity in the object; for instance, when we 
modify a noun by an augmentative or a diminutive; 
but in no other case is it expressed. This word, 
placed in English before nouns denoting profession, 
condition, or nation, as in the three last examples. 



87 



is not admitted in Italian. When it follows such, so 
long, so great, &c. it is generally omitted in Italian ; 
and if it be rendered, we place it before those words j 
for instance, " such a thing," wia cosi fatta cosa. 

II. 



1. Gli uomini sono huoni a 

mille cose. B. 

2. Piu di cento spirit entro 

sediero. D. 

3. Tre mila dugento cin- 

quanta miglia. D. 

4. Vid' io raigliaia di lu- 

cerne. D. 



Men are fit for a thousand 
things. 

More than a hundred spirits 

were sitting in it. 
Three thousand two hundred 

and fifty miles. 

I saw thousands of lights. 



The Italian does not admit of the particle a placed, 
as in English, before hundred and thousand. Cento does 
not change ; but mille makes mila, when signifying more 
than one. We do not require any conjunction between 
numbers ; that which precedes fifty, in the third ex- 
ample, is consequently omitted in Italian. Hundreds 
and thousands are rendered by centinaia and migliaia, 
of which the Italians have the singular also, viz. 
centinaio and migliaio. 



III. 



1. Guglielmo Secondo, re di 

Sicilia, ebbe due Jigliuoli. 
B. 

2. Libra primOfCapitolo terzo. 

3. Di Parigi, ilprimo di Fcb- 

braro. Bentivoglio. 

4. Alii quattordici Gennaio. 

Davanzati. 

5. Di Roma, li tredici diSet- 

tembre. Caro. 

6. Inl' era prima. P. 



William the Second, king of 
Sicily, had two children. 

Book the first, chapter the 
third. 

Paris, the first of February. 

The fourteenth of January. 

Rome, the thirteenth of Sep- 
tember. 

At the first hour. 



By the first and second examples, we learn that the 
ordinal number placed after a noun, is suflicient, in 



88 

Italian, to determine it, without the concurrence of the 
article. From the third, fourth, and fifth, we see that, 
to mark a date, excepting the first day of the month, 
we make use of the cardinal number, and therefore put 
the article in the plural, which may be attended with 
the preposition a. The last example shows that the 
ordinal number varies in its termination according to 
the gender and number of the qualified word. 

IV. 

1^ Tutti e tre parimente gli He loved all three equally. 
amava. B. 

2. Si spogliarono tutti e sette. All seven took off their 

B. clothes. 

3. Era in pericolo di perdere He was in danger of losing 

tutti due i figliuoli. both his children. 

Pecorone. 

When the word tutto is applied to a number, the con- 
junction e is placed between them in Italian, as in the 
two first examples. We may say also, tutti tre, and 
tutti a tre; tutti sette, and tutti a sette; but the form of 
the two first examples is the most prevalent. 

If the object, to which the word tutto and a number 
are applied, is expressed, as in the third example, the 
article necessary, in that case, must be placed after 

the number. 

V. 

1. Tennemi Amor anni venf Love held me in his chains 

uno. P. twenty-one years. 

2. Poi, per la medesima via, Then, by the same way^ it 

par discendere altre no- seems to descend ninety- 

vajif una rota. D. one turns more. 

S. Ogni cosa era pieno di tor- There were plenty of small 
chietti di me^sa libbra. wax-candles, half a pound 

Crasca. each. 

4. Essendo in Firen^e nion- The alloy silver at Florence 

tato r argento delta lega amounted to eleven ounces 

d'once undid e meszo and a half in the pound. 

per libbra. Crusca. 



89 

When we make use of the numbers 2f, 31, 41, &c. we 
must put the noun of the object designed in the plu- 
ral, if we place it before those numbers; while the noun 
must be in the singular, if we make it follow them. 

From the third and fourth examples it appears, that 
if the adjective mezzo, half, be placed before the qua- 
lified noun, the former must agree in gender with the 
latter; but if mezzo be placed after the noun, the ad- 
jective retains the masculine termination. 

The particle a, applied to the word half, is not trans- 
lated ; but sometimes, when denoting only one half, 
as " half a mile," un mezzo miglio. 

VII. 

1. Cento venticingue Jiorini A hondred and twenty-five 

per uno. Davanzati. florins a head. 

2. Non ne vuole meno di Re reqinr8s.no less than thirty 

trenta per centinaio. B. per cent. 

3. Si facevano fosse grandis- They made very large ditches, 

sime, nelle quali a centi- into which those who 

naia si mettevano i so- were carried there, were 

pravvegnenti. B. put by hundreds, 

4. Andate a quattro a quat- Go four by four. 

tro. B. 

5. Di set mesi in sei mcsi si They are changed every six 

mutano. B. months. 

6. Tre via* tre, nove. Three times three make nine. 

7. lo aveva sette anni. F. I was seven years old. 

8. Egli era d'etd forse di He was about forty years of 

quaranta anni. B. age. 

It is to be remarked, that when we indicate the 
share assigned to each person, as in the first example, 
or the interest of money, as in the second, the numbers 
uno and cento, or centinaio, are to be marked by the pre- 
position per. When we make a distribution of things, 
as in the third example, we designate the number by 

* The word via is an alteration of fiata, time— -Biagioli. 

N 



9Q 

the preposition a, which ought to be repeated, if, as 
in the fourth, there is a repetition of the number. 

From the fifth example we learn, that to mark distri- 
bution of time, the number is to be repeated, and that 
we must distinguish it the first time by the preposi- 
tion di, and with m, the second. 

The expression of the sixth, is the usual formula of 
multiplication. 

The expression of the seventh is more used in fami- 
liar discourse, than that of the eighth, to indicate age. 

The Italians cannot understand the word anni as in 
English, viz. " He is forty." We must say either, Egli 
ha quaranf anni, or Egli k d'etd di quaranf anni. 



EXERCISE VIII. 

1. If a sheep were to throw itself dawn a precipice of a 
— * — si gittasse da * ripa — * 

thousand feet, all the others would follow it. 
* passo * — andar(2) dietro(3) ^(1) 

2. I will speak more at larg-e of this virtue in the 
dire — pienamente — questo — — — 

fourteenth treatise. 
* 

3. He broug-ht him two slices of toasted bread, and 

portare(2) gU(l) * fetta — arrostito(2) (1) — 

a large glass of Wernaccia. 
* gran — — Vernaccia 

4. This will be the bread of which thousands will be fed. 
questo — guel — del quale * (2) saUollarsi(\) 

5. Yours of the twenty-third, broughtf by Romiero, 
la vostra — — * portare — — 

afforded us matter of reflection for a long time. 
dare * da ruminar — * pezzo 

t The form of the participle past being in English similar to that of the 
preterite, viz. the perfect and imperfect, the student will occasionally con- 
found them. The two forms may be distinguished from one another by the 
word which governs them. The participle past is always under the imme- 



91 

6. I am a merchant, and not a philosopher; therefore I 
* mercatante — — * — e 

shall answer you as a merchant. 
(3) (1) * (2) 

7. Bet five thousand florins of thine ag-ainst one thousand 
mettere * — de' tuoi contra a * * 

of mine. 
de' miei 

8. In the centre of the meadow, was a fountain of 

— — mezzo — — — — * fonte — 

very white marble, beautifully carved. 

* (2) (1) e con maravigliosi intagli 

9. He is an Athenian, and I a Roman. 

* Ateniese * — 

10. Virg-il says, in the fourth book of the iEneid, that 

— — — — * — — Eneide che 

Fame has life, because it has motion. 

— vivere per esser mobile 

11. The young- g-irl was very simple, and about fifteen 

— giovane — * — forse(3) * (4) 

years of age. 
(5) (1) (2) 

12. Tancred, prince of Salerno, was very humane, 
Tancredi — — — — signore assai umano 

and of an affable disposition. 

— — * benigno ingegno 

13. At every twist of wool she spun, 

— * passo — lana filata che al fuso avvolgeva 

she vented a thousand sighs, more burning than fire. 
gittare * * — — cocente * — 

14. I am a Lombard, of a city called Pavia, a poor 
^ — — * — chiamare — * — 

man, and of low birth. 

— — — basso condizione 

diate dependance of an auxiliary, either expressed or understood ; whereas 
the preterite must be governed by a subject, expressed or understood, with- 
out any intermediate auxiliary. Now, in this case, the entire expression is, 
which has been brought. 

n2 



92 

15. After the death of the emperor Frederic the Second, 
appresso — — — (3) (1) * (2) 

Manfred was crowned king- of Sicily. 
(6) (1) (5) (2) (3) (4) 

16. In a very short space of time, he not only 

— * assai brieve — — — — solamente 

acquired the first rudiments, but became 
apparare{4) Q) *(2) letter a (3) ma divenire{p) 

very eminent among- the philosophers. 

* valoroso(\) tra (2^ (3} Jilosofante(4) 

17. When they were about eig-ht miles distant from Rome, 

come — forse * — dilungato -— — 

they turned by a road to the left. 
mettersi* per * via — sinistra 

18. I would rather have a man that wants 

— voglio avanti * — che ahhia bisogno di 

riches, than riches that want a man. 
ricchezza * ricchezza — — * — 

19. He who had sneezed, still sneezing a 
quegli che (2) starnutire{l) ancora(2) (1) la 

third, and a fourth, and a fifth time, 

* volta —la * __ _ * 

surprized us all. 

far (3') maravigUare (4) (2) (1) 

20. What he devised for the satisfaction of all three, 
quello che — — a soddisfacimento — * 

has escaped my memory. 
m' e uscito di mente 

21. I am one of the three merchants to whom your lady 
^^ . — I'* — — * — a' qualiladonnavostra 

gave these robes. 
donare questo roha 

22. Our citizens come back from Bologna, one a 
i nostri — tornare(4) c^(3) (1) (2) qual * 

lawyer, another a physician, a third a notary. 
giudice qual * medico qual * notaio 

23. In a little gallery, he had painted the battle of the 
— * (etta) loggia — dipinta — — 

rats and the cats. 
topo — — gatta 



93 

24. The five hundred pounds that you returned me, I 

— * lira che — rendere * — 

sent instantly to Naples, to lay out in cloth. 
mandare incontanente — — ad investire — tele 

25. The years had already reached the number of 

— — essere gid pervenuti a — — — 

a thousand three hundred and forty-eig-ht. 
* * 

26. How old were you when your father broug-ht you 
quanti anni * quando vostro — levare * 

from Palermo? 



27. They all four dined together. 

* desinare — 

28. Your lordship ^s letter of the twenty-fourth of 
vostra signoria * — — — * — 

November came into my hands but four days 
— m' e capitata nelle mani se non * giorno 

ag-o. 
sono 

29. They established a society of about five and twenty 

ordinare * hrigata — forse * * 

persons. 
uomo 

30. His life may be of greater service to the world thant 
la sua — — — piu utile — * 

a hundred thousand like yours. 
* vostre pari 

31. You do not let me rest even half an 

— — lasciare — riposare(2) pur (I) * — 
hour in the day. 
— di — giorno 

t In this comparison the implied words ^re, ia sua utility essendo messa 
afronte di quella. See page 69. 



M 



CHAP. XIII. 



OF POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES. 



singular. 


Plural. 




Masculine. 


Femiuihe. 


Masculine, 


Feminine. 




mio. 


mia, 


miei. 


mie. 


my, mine. 


tuo, 


tua, 


tuoi. 


tue, 


thy, thine. 


suo, 


sua, 


suoi. 


sue. 


his, her, hers, its. 


nostra, 


nostra. 


nostri. 


nostre. 


our, ours. 


vostro, 


vostra, 


vostri. 


vostre, 


your, yours. 


loro*, 


loro. 


loro, 


loro, 


their, theirs. 



The following are the rules of syntax applicable to 

the above words. 

I. 

1. Non accorgendosi ch' egli Not perceiving that he was 

era uccellato, mando per imposed upon, he sent for 

I'amico suo, B. his friend. 

2. Contentate il piacer vostro. Gratify vour pleasure. 

B. 

3. A me bisogna la vostra I have need of your faith. 

fede. B. 

4. lo non intendo di rispar- I do not intend to spare my 

miar le mie for se. B. strength. 

The possessive is in Italian usually attended with 
the article ; for the possessive serves only to qualify 
a thing, to represent it, for instance, as mine; but as 
the things, even of the same species, which may be so 
qualified, are various, I must employ the article to 
designate the whole, the peculiarity or eminence of 
objects of mine. In the two first examples, then, the 

* Although this word is a pronoun, we must place it among these adjec- 
tives, because it supplies the possessive of the third person in the plural, 
which does not exist. 



95 

author designs by the article, a particular /n'g/ic?, and 
•pleasure, already mentioned ; in the third and fourth, 
the article designates the wliole faith and the whole 
strength spoken of. 

The possessive may be placed either before or after 
its noun, although it more generally precedes the noun. 
The possessive ought always to follow a noun when we 
address a person ; as, signor mio, my lord ; amico mio, 
my friend ; and cannot be understood after a noun of 
relation, as in English, saying, father, sister, &c. We 
say, padre mio, sorella mia, &Ci 

II. 

1. Chi fu tuo padre? B. Who was thy father? 

2. Fratel mio, questa h mia Brother, this is my daughter. 

figliuola. B. 

3. lo sono la tua sventurata 1 am your unhappy daughter. 

Jiglia. B. 

4. A me parve, come io vi When I saw you, I thought I 

vidi, vedere il padre mio. beheld my father. 

B. 

5. Sensa altroconsigliopren- Without taking any other 

dere pose i suoi Jigliuoli advice, he put his chil- 

a cavallo. B. dren on horseback. 

6. Io son deliberato di far I am ready to do what your 

quel che vostra eccellenza excellency desires. 

desidera. Caro. 

The two first examples show that, when placed be- 
fore nouns of kindred, as, padre, madre, fratello^ , &c. 
in the singular, the possessive is sufficient to deter- 
mine them ; and the article is therefore most frequently 
omitted ; but if either another adjective be added to 
the noun, as in the third example, or the possessive 
placed after it, as in the fourth, the article is then 

* The words donna (used instead of moglie, wife) and sposa, spouse, are 
excepted. 



96 

necessary, in order to designate, in the former case, 
the determination of that adjective, and in the latter, 
the determination of the possessive itself. See the 
Sixth Chapter, on the Application of the Article. 

We have before observed, that the possessive, ap- 
plied to such nouns, refuses the article when they are 
used in the singular; for the fifth example shows, that 
with regard to the plural, the article is necessary. 

By the sixth example we learn that the possessive, 
applied to words denoting title, as, signoria, lordship 
or ladyship, eccellenza, maestd,, &c. is also sufficient 
to determine them, and they therefore do not admit of 
the article in the singular. 

The word loro must always be attended with the 

article. 

III. 

1. Sempre per suo amico He always considered him a 

I'ebbe. B. friend. 

2. II domandb se suoi erano He asked him whether those 

quegli Jigliuoli. B. were his children. 

3. II giudice niuna cosa in The judge woold bear no- 

sua scusa voleva udire. thing- in his defence. 

4. lo non posso far caldo e I cannot produce warm and 

freddo a mia posta. B. cold weather at my plea- 

sure. 

5. Deh! animamiadolce! B. Ah! my sweet love I 

The possessives suo, of the first example, and suoi, 
of the second, are not marked by the article, because 
neither peculiarity nor totality of possessed things is 
indicated. In the first instance the author means to 
say, as one of his friends ; in the second, whether those 
children belonged to him. Should the article be applied 
to suo amico, it would afi'ord to that word the force of 
most intimate. Likewise, an article affixed to suoi 
Jigliuoli, would give it the wider sense of totality. 



97 

Therefore, when we specify only a part of the object 
possessed, whatever it raay be, we omit the article. 

As we see from the third and fourth examples, the 
article must not be applied to the possessive in the 
adverbial expressions, a mia posta, a mio senno, a mio 
modo, at my pleasure, in my own way ', in mia scusciy 
in my defence, &c. the words posta, senno, modo, and 
scusa, being then in an indeterminate sense. 

The possessive applied to the person addressed, as 
in the fifth example, does not require to be pointed 
out by any article. 

IV. 

1. Omai h mio il pallafreno Now the horse which was 

chefu tuo. B. thine, is mine. 

2. Nan^atemi i vostri acci- Tell me your adventures, and 

denti,echevitasia stata what kind of life yours 

la vostra. B. has been. 

3. lo voglio considerare i I wish to consider his ways 

suoi modi e i suoi costu- and manners. 

mi. B. 

4. Lascib per erede un suo She left as her heir, a son 

Jigliuolo gid grandicello. already rather tall. 

B. 



We see from the first example, that the same pos- 
sessives, mio, tuo, suo, &c. answer also to mine, thine, 
his, &c.; still we mark them with the article, when we 
intend to denote either peculiarity or totality of pos- 
session, as in the second example. 

By the third we learn, that the possessive and the 
article must be repeated when there is more than one 
noun ; and by the fourth, that, in Italian, the pos- 
sessive ought to agree in gender and number with the 
object possessed, and not with the possessor. 



V. 

1. Ella desidera di tornarsi She wishes to return to her 

al padre. B. father. 

2. Quasi morta nelle hraccia She fell almost dead in the 

del Jigliuol cadde, B. arms of her son. 

3. Bassa gli occhiin terra ; Let your eyes fall upon the 

non le guatare, B. g-round ; do not look at 

them. 

4. Non tanto il perduto ma- She did not bewail the loss 

rito quanto la sua sven- of her husband so much 

tura piangea. B. as her own misfortune. 

When the object of possession is related to the 
person representing the subject of the proposition, the 
possessive is more elegantly understood ; nay, if that 
object be a member, or some other thing connected 
with the person, we must omit the possessive, unless 
there be a contradistinction, or the omission of the 
possessive offers an ambiguity. But the article must 
then point out the object which is determined by the 
possessive understood. It is then obvious, that the 
word padre, in the first example, is referred to the 
person spoken of, to her who is the subject of that sen- 
tence; in the second, the word figliuol is related to the 
person spoken of, the understood subject of the sen- 
tence; in the third, the eyes belong to the party ad- 
dressed, and who is still the subject of the proposition ; 
in the fourth, the possessive is omitted before marito, 
which word oflfers no ambiguity, but it must be ex- 
pressed before sventura, otherwise that word might be 
taken in a general sense. The possessive its, is usually 
supplied in Italian by the article, for the same reason; 
for instance, "its top was surrounded with trees," la 
cima era intorniata d'alheri. 



99 



vr 



1. Con un suofamigliare. B. 

2. Amenduni glifece pigliare 

a tre suoi servitori, B. 

3. Informato un de' suoi. B. 

4. Vedi a cut io do mangiare 

il mio. B. 



With a servant of his. 

He got three servants of his 
to seize them both. 

Having- informed one of his 

servants. 

Behold, to whom I give my 
fortune to sauander. 



It is a general rule, that when the expressions, of 
his, of hers, of ours, &c. are placed after the noun, as 
in the two first examples, the possessive, without a 
preposition, ought in Italian to precede the substan- 
tive, and to agree with it in gender and number j and 
when the like expressions follow the noun, they are 
literally translated into Italian, as in the third ex- 
ample. In the third, the word famigli, and in the 
fourth, bene, fortune, are understood. In the same 
manner we usually understand the words danaro, 
money; parenti, relations; soldati, soldiers, and some 
others. 



VII 



Poi che gli arcieri del vostro 
nimico avranno il sua sa- 
cUamento saettato, e i vo- 
stri il suo, sapele che di 
quello che i vostri saettato 
avranno conv^rrd che i 
vostri nemici ricolgamo, e 
a' nostri converrd rico- 
glier del loro. B. 



When the bowmen of the 
enemy have discharged all 
their arrows, and your 
men their:>, yon know that 
your enemies are obliged 
to gather up tliose which 
your men have discharged, 
and your archers are o- 
bliged to gather up theirs. 



It is to be remarked, that if the possessive refer to 
several persons representing the subject of the sen- 
tence, we may use the possessive in the singular, to 
avoid ambiguity. The lirst possessive, sua, of the 

o2 



100 

above-quoted example, applies to the word arcieri, 
the subject of the verb avranno; the second, swo, to 
vostri arcieri, the subject of the verb avranno under- 
stood ; the third, loro, is in the plural, because it is 
not in reference to the subject of the proposition re- 
presented by nostri. Should loro be employed in the 
two former instances, there would be an ambiguity, 
as it might then be referred either to arcieri or to 
vostri; whilst suo, in that case, may be applied to the 
subject only. 

From the words ai, to the; dei, of the; dai, from 
the ; 7tei, in the ; coiy with the, the i is always cut off, 
and supplied by an apostrophe, when they are fol- 
lowed by one of the possessives, miei, tuoi, suoi; thus, 
de* miei, co* suoi, ne tuoi, &c. Remark also, that if 
a noun ending in re, is put before the possessive, 
the e is cut off; viz. dolor mio, amor mio, &c. 



EXERCISE IX. 



1. On the third day, the g-ood woman returned for her 

— — dt — — donna tornare — * 

chest. 
cassa 

2. Putting his breast upon the edge of the urn, he 

posto * petto sopra — orlo — — area 

carried his head forward, and put his legs 

volgere * capo in fuori — mandare(2) (3) (4) 

within it. 
(1) 

3. Let him eat of his own, if he has any ; for of ours 

* 6' — (2) ne(l) che — * 

he shall not eat to-day. 
(3) (1)(2) (4) 

4. I do not intend to deviate from my predecessors, 
— — — — — — * passato 



101 

5. In a very short time he astonished his father, 
— * * hreve — far maravigliare *- — 

all his relations, and every body else that knew 
e — * — ciascuno altro che (2) 

him. 

6. He lived very straitly on the rent of a very 

viversi * strettissimamente di — — 

small farm of his. 
(etto) podere * 

7. It is more difficult for men to show 

egli — — malagevole a — * mostrare altrui 

their wit and virtue, than their folly and 

* senno — — che sia * sciocchessa — 

bad dispositions, 
vizio 

8. I do not know whom I can appoint to collect 
— sapere cui — possa lasciare a riscuotere 

my money. 
* 

9. Have you heard how your good brother-in-law uses 

— — udire come * — — trattare 

your sister ? 

* 

10. Taking the most discreet of his men aside, he 
accostatosi a — — — — * 

told him what he should do. 

imporre(2) gli{l} quello che — av esse a fare 

11. Each thing being directed by a particular 
ciascuno — impinta{4) {I) di propria natura(3) 

providence, tends towards its perfection. 

(2) esser inclinahile a * suo — 

12. He who praises or blames a man to 

c/l^(3) (4) (5) (6) alcuno (\0) dinansi (7) (8) 

his face, offers him an insult. 
* viso(9) fare(2) villania(\) 

13. Every prophet is less praised in his own country than 

— — — — onorato — * patria 

elsewhere. 




^ 102 

14. Having" provided for both his son and 

— acconci(5) "^ (I) Jigliuolo(2) (3) 

daughter, he determined to stay no long-er in 
figliuola (4) pensare — non voler * dimorare — 
Ensrland. 



15. My son, I could never have believed that thou 

— — — non — mat credere — 
vs^ouldest have concealed any of thy 

/osst(6) guardarsi (J) d'alcuno{\^ O (2)* 

wants from me. 
desiderio (3) (4) (6) 

16. You will remember to tell your father, that your 

ricordarsi * — — * — — * 

children, his and my g-rand-children, are not born of 
Jigliuolo * — * nipoie — — nascere — 

beg-g-ars. 
paltoniere 

17. Madam, commend your soul to God. 
madonna raccomandare *(2) (1) — — 

18. Sir, these things are mine, and 1 will not sell them. 

— le — — . * — — le vendo 

19. Certainly she is my wife. 
per certo * -— 

20. Examine their virtue, their manners, and their customs. 

— * — * costume — * maniera 

21. He began to pretend to stretch out one of 

cominciare — ' far sembiante — distendere V 

his fingers, and then his hand, and afterwards his 
* - — — appres^ * — — pot * 

arm. 



22. It pleases me to follow your advice. 
eg/i piacere — — eeguire * consiglio 

23. Before the house he saw four brothers of his, all 
davanti — — — — — * — 

dressed in black. 
vestito di — 



103 

24. I am preparing- to do what will be for your 
— prepararsi * — far quello che dee essere * 

g-ood and comfort. 
— — * consola^ione 

25. She set out with a cousin and a 
essa entrare in cammino — — — — — 

maid-servant of hers, and never stopped till she was 
cameriera * ne mai ristare si — - 

in Florence. * - 



26. If you deceived me, you would frustrate your purposes 
— — ingannare — — guastare * (2) fatto(l) 
and mine. 



27. By a very trusty servant of his, he conveyed 
— — * segreto famigliare * mandare(2^ 

it to his daughter. 
*7(1) — * figliuola 

28. There were in Messina three young brothers, become 

— — — — — — rimaso 

very rich upon the death of their father. 
assai — dopo — — — * — 

29. From that time forward they made no distinction 

d'allora innanzi (3) *(1) (2) 

between their mother and her. 
da "^ — a lei 

30. Poverty exercises our sensitive virtues, and 

— esser esef^citatrice di * (2) (1) — 

awakes our minds ; whereas riches paralyze 

destatrice * ingegno Id dove ricchezza addormentareQl) 

(both. \ 

e quelle e questi){\.) 



104 
CHAP. XIV. 

OF DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES. 



I. 

1. Sia preso questo traditore. Let this traitor be seized. 

B. 

2. Innansi che cotesto ladron- Before this fellow, who stands 

cello, che v' ^ costi dal by your side, goes away, 

lato, vada via, &c, B. &c. 

3. Anche voi dite che quel la You also say that that house 

casa e mia ? F. is mine ? 

4. Come dite voi coteste pa- How can you utter those 

role ? B. words ? 

There are three demonstratives in Italian ; the first, 
questo, this, points out an object near the speaker; 
the second, cotesto, this or that, designates an object 
near the party addressed ; the third, quello, that, de- 
notes one distant both from the speaker and the party 
addressed. 

From their quality of adjectives, they must change 
their final vowel according to the gender and number 
of the word designated. Quello is subject to peculiar 
variations ; it is shortened into quel, and into quel in 
the plural, before a masculine noun beginning with a 
consonant, except the s, followed by another conso- 
nant; it admits of ellision before a vowel, and makes 
quegli in the plural, before a vowel and the above 5/ 
quella and quelle in the feminine. 

From the fourth example, we perceive that these 
adjectives are likewise employed to designate artificial 
or abstract things. I make this observation, lest, from 
the word *' demonstrative," it might be inferred that 
they should be used to mark physical and real things 
only. 



105 



II. 

1. Quando intese questo fu When he heard this, he was 

oltre modo dolente. B. extremely sorry. 

2. Ditemi quello che io posso Tell me what I can do for 

per vol operare. B. you. 

3. Noi vogliamo andare a We will g-o and see ^/u's saint. 

veder questo santo. B. 

4. /Se questo avviene, ilpopolo Should that happen, the peo- 

di questa terra si lever a pie of this country will 

a romore. B. rise in rebellion. 

5. Mi ha pagato di quella He g-ave me such a reward 

moneta ch' io merito. F. as I deserved. 

The adjectives questo and quello are also used to 
denote ideas present to, or distant from, our mind. 
Questo indicates something present to our mind, be- 
cause it has already been spoken of, and therefore 
wants no declaration, as in the first example ; quello 
designates what is distant from our mind, or has not 
been already mentioned, and is therefore always fol- 
lowed by a declaratory clause, as in the second. Thus, 
having already mentioned the saint, in the third ex- 
ample, the speaker designates him by the demon- 
strative questo, though the real object be distant from 
his view. 

We remark from the fourth example, that the Eng- 
lish designate a thing just mentioned, by the demon- 
strative that, which is in direct opposition to the 
Italian mode of expression. The reason is, that they 
entertain a different idea; considering the event as 
distant, because it is merely a supposition j Italians, 
on the contrary, represent it as present to the mind, 
inasmuch as it has just been spoken of. For this 
reason, when the demonstrative that is referred to the 
subject of the discourse, and is not followed by a 
determination, it must be rendered by questo, 

p 



106 

When the word as refers to such, as in the fourth 
example, it is rendered in Italian by che; and, in that 
instance, the adjective quello answers to such. 

III. 

1 . Piacemi forte la vostra Your clear conscience in this, 

pur a coscienza in cid. B. pleases me much. 

2. Cid che dile vi credo, B. I believe what you say. 

The word cid, it, has the same signitication with 
both questo and quello, when relating, as we have 
explained in the preceding paragraph, to the subject 
of the discourse, and may supply the place of either, 
as appears from the above examples. 

The word what is expressed in Italian by quel che, 
quello che, or cid che, that which. 

IV. 

1. lo ilfeci&isLnoite prendere. I had him seized last night. 

B. 

2. Stamane egli entrd in un This morning he entered a 

mio giardino. B. garden of mine. 

3. Fate che stasera noi siamo Let us meet together this 

insieme, B. evening. 

The forms stamattina or stamane, stasera and sta- 
notte, are usually employed, in familiar discourse, 
instead of questa mattina, questa sera, questa notte. 
Stanotte may signify last night, or to-night; the adjec- 
tive passata, past, being understood in the former, 
and seguente, following, in the latter. 

We must observe, that when, by the expression 
last night, we intend to denote the past evening, we 
use ieri sera, or iersera. 



107 



V. 



1. In questo (stesso tempo) 

la fante di lei soprav- 
venne, B. 

2. Era Tito per ventura in 

quella ora (stessa) ve- 
nuto al preto7'io. B. 

3. In quelle (stesso tempo) la 

gente di messer Filippo 
posero il ponte. Crusca. 

4. Lasciami saziar gli occhi 

di questo tuo viso dolce. 
B. 



Upon this her maid came in. 



Now it happened, by chance, 
that Titus came into the 
hall at that very time. 

Then the men of sir Philip 
threw the bridge across. 

Let me satiate my eyes with 
that sweet face of thine. 



It would be inapossible for the student to compre- 
hend the expressions, in questo, in quello, in questa, 
in quella, without knowing the words understood, and 
which are supplied in the above examples. The 
second example, wherein Boccaccio uses the word 
ora, may serve as a proof that the words supplied 
are understood in similar expressions. They corres- 
pond with just then, and with the expressions, upon 
this, upon that. 

The possessive and demonstrative, in the fourth 
example, are employed together to point out an ob- 
ject with more precision ; and in that case, the pos- 
sessive, which is placed in English after the noun, 
must in Italian precede it, without a preposition. 



VI. 



Queste catene delta gola, 
quanto piu le allarghi, 
piii ti st7'ingono. F. 

Queste streghe diventan 
gatte e cani. F. 



The more you loose the 
chains of gluttony, the 
more they bind you. 

Witches become cats and 
dosTS. 



Sometimes we make use of the demonstrative, in- 
stead of the article, to denote either all the individuals 



p 2 



108 

of the same class, or objects of the same kind. The 
reason is, that, in such instances, we represent the 
objects as present to our imagination. In the first 
example, the speaker employs the demonstrative, be- 
cause he is speaking of gluttony, and is himself a 
glutton. In the second, the demonstrative implies 
the words, cJie si senton ogni di ricordare, of which we 
often hear. 

VIT. 

1. Levatasi la laurea di capo, Having taken the crown from 

(\Vie\\2i pose soprala testa her head, she placed it 

a Filostrato. B. upon that of Philostratus. 

2. A me pare che egli si pro- It appears to me, that he 

cacci di ridurre al nulla strives to overthrow the 

la cristiana religione, christian religion, whereas 

laddove fondamento e he ought to be the chief 

sostegno dovrebbe esser succour and support of t^. 
di quella. B. 

3. Sentendo lifatti suoi molto Finding- his affairs much em- 

intralciati, pensb quegli barrassed, he resolved to 

commettere a piu per- commit them to the care 

sone. B. of several persons. 

Quello, quella, quegli, quelle, are often used as pro- 
nouns, to avoid the repetition of the noun, as in the 
above examples. In the first, the word quella supplies 
la laurea; in the second, quella represents religione; 
in the third, quegli is in reference to fatti. In such 
instances, they answer to the English pronouns it, 
them, when they require emphasis, and, of course, 
when they are attended with prepositions; for the 
pronouns lo, la, gli, le, mentioned in Chapter XVI. 
having no force in themselves, cannot support the 
inflection of the voice. 



109 



EXERCISE X. 

1. Do not tell me that to comfort me. 



* 



per 



2. When they went into the church, there they saw this 

entrati — — — — * 

bed so wonderful and rich, and upon it the knig-ht 

— cosl — — — — sopra * — cavalier 

lying- fast asleep. 
che dormiva 

3. I have heard what you have been saying- about me. 
— — intendei'e * — ragionato di — 

4. She asked him whence he was, and whether 
— domandare (2) *^(1) d'onde fosse — se 
those were children of his? 

* — Jigliuolo * 

5. In my opinion, this journey of yours is unnecessary. 

a * par ere * andata * — di soperchio 

6. These (which you mention) are things to be done by 

* — •— dafarle 

wicked men, 
reo — 

7. It happened that the good woman departed this life. 
avvenire — — — donna passare da * — 

8. From this time afterwards, he was the most liberal and 

— * innansi — — — — — 

gracious g-entleman in Genoa. 

* — gentile uomo che — — fosse 

9. Among- these merchants, was a young- man called 

tra * mercatante — — — chiamare 

Ambrose of Placentia. 
Ambrogiuolo da — 

10. I wish to converse a little with you upon this 
volere ragionare — — — — sopra * 

subject. 
materia 



110 

11. When I was labouring- in the garden, one would cry, 

— — lavorare — orto Vuna diceva 

(thou) Put this here; and another. Put that here; and 
/?orre*(2) (1) — Valtra ~*(2) (1) — 

a third would take the hoe out of my hand. 
I'altra mi toglieva — zappa — — 

12. Quiet and peaceful is the abode of that Supreme Being-, 

— — — luogo — * Somma Deitade 

who alone sees every thing fully. 
che solo (2) (1) 

13. My father, I beg you to obtain for me 

* — pregare — che vol facciate che io ahbia 

one of those goslings. 

— — * papera 

14. In this intercourse, the abbot found that Ferondo 

— * — — accorgersi* — 

had a handsome wife, 

avere — hellissimo dpnna per moglie 

15. I was just g'oing to send one of these fellows 

— — teste in pensie^'O di — — - — * 

of mine to a place near Payia, upon some business. 
* infino vicin di — per — cosa 

16. Among other natural things, that which least brooks 

tra — — — * che — ricevere 

an adverse counsel, is love. 
* consiglio in contrario — — 

17. Thou hast obtained such a sepulchre from thy 

(7) *(5) sepultura(6) (1) (2) 

very enemy as thy merit has deserved. 

medesimo (4) (3) * (8) — valore — — 

18. It appeared to him, that there proceeded from those 
parevagli — si (6) movesse (7) (1) * (2) 

eyes a suavity which filled him with pleasure 
(3) (4) (5) la quale il riempisse * — 

never experienced by him before. 

mai non (S) provato(ji) (1) lui(2) 

19. I should be extremely pleased if, this evening, you 
a me sarebbe grandissima grasia che * — 

would come and sup with me. 
venirsene * a cenar — — 



Ill 

20. It appeared that I was in a fine and delig-htful forest, 

a me pareva essere — — — selva 

and that I was hunting* in it. 

— andar(3) cacciare (A) (1) (2)* 

21. Oh ! said he, that, I can assure you, I have very 

— dire — * vi dico io bene die — — molto 
often done. 



22. Upon- this, having- awaked, and seen the light, he put 

* destarsi * — — — lume porre 

his head under the bed-clothes. 
* capo — — panni 

23. I would not have you suppose that we should appear 
volere — che voi credeste ■ — — stare 

there in this dress, or with these clothes which you 
Id — * abito — — * panni che 

see upon us. 

— c^ 

24. Last nig-ht I was at our meeting*. 

* — — a * brigata 

25. I have carried on my little trade, and by it have 
— fatte mie piccole mercatan^ie — in * — 

desired to g-ain something-. 

26. Be this evening- upon one of those raised tombs. 
— * in su — — * rilevato(2) avello{\) 

27. We had last night so many blows, that with 

abbiamo * avute * bussa — di 

less, an ass would go to Rome. 

- (2) (3) (1) 

28. I already imagine I see thee, with those teeth 
e' mi par pur vedere — (2) * (3) (5) 

of thine, like pegs, biting her 

* (4) fatti a bischeri (6) morderle (1) quella 

Vermillion mouth, and her cheeks, which resemble 
suaboccavermigliusza — * gota che parere 

two roses. 



112 

29. The Jew answered, that he esteemed no religion 
— Giudeo rispondere — — credere — fede buona 
like his own ; that he was born in it, and in 
fuor die la giudaica (3) (4) (1) * (2) 

it he intended to live and die. 
* — e — — — 



CHAP. XV. 

OF CONJUNCTIVE ADJECTIVES. 



1. Quasi niuno era che non There was scarcely any one 

sapesse cM fosse. B. who knew not who he was. 

2. Non rifiutate la gratia Refuse not the boon that God 

che Iddio vi manda. B, sends you. 

3. Questo ^ I'uomo di che vi This is the man of whom I 

ho parlato. B. have spoken to you. 

4. Comandd che da ciascuno He commanded them to shew 

cost onorato fosse come him the same respect that 

la sua persona ; i\ che da they would to himself; 

quindi innansi ciascun which every one after- 

fece, B. wards observed. 

The conjunctive adjective die, which serves to join 
a noun not yet determined, to its determining proposi- 
tion, relates both to things and persons, of any gender 
and number whatever. It may represent the subject 
as well as the object of the sentence, and even their 
relations with prepositions. It corresponds with the 
words who, that, and which. When the adjective which 
refers to a whole preceding sentence, the article is re- 
quired in Italian, as appears from the fourth example. 



im 



II. 



1. Teodoro,ondefosti, e (di) Theodore, of what country 

cui Jigliuolo? B. and whose son are you ? 

2. Vedi (a) cui io do man- Behold, to whom I give my 

glare il mio. B. fortune to squander! 

3. Sopra il monte Tarpeo ve- On theTarpeian rockyouwill 

drai un cavalie?' ch' Ita- see a knig-ht, to whom all 

lia tutta onora. P. Italy pays reverence. 

4. Egli vi troverebbe me, in Fie vs/ould find me there, in- 

luogo di colui cui trovar stead of him whom he 

vi si crede. B. expects to find. 

The conjunctive cui may be employed as exten- 
sively as che; but cannot represent the subject of the 
proposition, and is applied rather to persons. The 
preposition di, is generally understood before cui, 
especially when, in English, the word whose is em- 
ployed; and the article, in this instance, if it be re- 
quired, must be placed before cui, as in the following 
example from Boccaccio : II maestro, la (di) cui 
scienza, &c. the doctor, whose knowledge, &c. The 
preposition a, may also be understood, as we see 
from the second example. 

As we have already mentioned, che may represent 
the subject as well as the object of the sentence; but 
cui, only the object. Now, in employing che for the 
object, it may sometimes happen that we fall into an 
equivocal sense, so as with difficulty to distinguish 
whether it represents the subject or the object, as in 
the third example from Petrarch, wherein che, repre- 
senting the object, might be taken for the subject; 
in such a case it is better to employ cui, as in the 
fourth example, to avoid that equivocation. 



114 



ITT. 



1. La quistione la quale voi 

mi fate h bella. B. 

2. Questa cosa apparve in 

due nostri cittadini, de' 
quali io intendo di ragio- 
narvi. B. 

3. Tale quale la fortuna tel 

concedette. B. 



It is a pretty question which 
you ask me. 

This was verified in two of 
our citizens, of whom I 
am now g'oing to speak. 

Such a one as Fortune allot- 
ted to thee. 



The adjective quale, which makes quali in the plural, 
relates both to things and persons of both genders, and 
may represent the subject, object, and their relations. 
It is always preceded by the article, except in inter- 
rogation. Quale is used rather than che, when the 
conjunctive must be pronounced with emphasis, and 
is therefore employed in preference to che, when the 
words which and whom are attended with a preposition, 
as appears from the third example. Such as, are ren- 
dered also by tale or cotale, and quale. Cotale is com- 
pounded with cost and tale; and both tale and cotale 
answer to such a one. 

IV. 
1. Chi siete voi che fuggito Who are you that have fled 



avete la prigione eterna ? 
D. 

2. Chi loda se, mostra che non 

creda esser buono tenuto. 
D. 

3. Ciascuno amico si duole 

del difetto di colui che 
egli ama. D. 

4. Chi tenea con I'uno e chi 

con I'altro. B. 

5.Erano in Parigi, qual joer 
una bisogna e qual per 
un' altra. B. 



from the eternal prison? 

He who commends himself as 
a good man, shows that 
he does not think others 
consider him so. 

A friend ever regrets the fault 
of him (whom) he loves. 

Some held with the one, and 
some with the other. 

They were at Paris, some for 
one business, and some for 
another. 



The word chi, who, or, he who, which implies both 



115 

uomo die and uomini che, may signify, 1. che uovno, or 
uomini; 2. I'uomo che; 3. uno uomo che; and is there- 
fore applied to persons only. In the first case, it is 
used for interrogations, as in the first example ; in the 
second it supplies, as appears from the second ex- 
ample, the words he who, him whom, &c. which may be 
equally well represented by colui che, as in the third 
example; in the third case it is used in the distributive 
enumeration of several individuals, as the word some 
is employed in English ; but then, the word chi being in 
the singular, the verb also must be in the singular, as 
in the fourth example. The verb essere is, in the latter 
case, always understood, and the entire expression 
is uno uomo era che. 

From the fifth example we see that the word quale, 
without the article, is also used in enumeration; and 
the words uno uomo era il, are then understood. 

A5 the word chi implies a noun, it cannot supply 
who, when relating to a noun expressed in the pre- 
ceding proposition; for instance, '* there was no 07ie 
vjho could guess," non v' ebbe niuno che potesse avvi- 
save, &c. In this sentence, the word who is translated 
into che, because it refers to the preceding one; but in 
the following, "behold, to whom I trusted,'' vedi a chi 
io mifidava, the word whom is translated into chi, be- 
cause it has no preceding reference. 

V. 

1. Che paura avete voi? B. What are you afraid of? 

2. Qual sarehhe la lor /•*- ^/la^ would be their answer? 

sposta ? B. 

3. Qiiali leggi, quali minacce, What laws, what threats, or 

qusi\ paura? B. what fear 'i 

4. Che dolci accoglien.ze! P. TF/ia^ an agreeable reception! 

5. Io faro quello che detto 1 will do what 1 told you. 

V' ho, B. 

q2 



116 

There is a delicacy to be remarked in the use of che 
and quale, in interrogation. If I wish, for instance, to 
know the substance of a law, I should say, Che legge 
e questa ? but if I ask the choice of one, among several 
laws, I sa3% Qual legge vi par migliore? the former 
referring to substance, the latter to quality. 

The word what^ in exclamations, is translated by 
che; and the particle a, which follows it in English, 
is not admitted in Italian. 

Except in the two above-mentioned cases of inter- 
rogation and exclamation, the word what is translated, 
as in the fifth example, by quello che, quel che, or by 
cid che, as v/e have already observed. 

VI. 

1. Che cosa ^ questa? B. What is ihisl 

2. II modo che voi avrete a The plan you are to follow 

tener Jia questo. B. will be this. 

3. Hannomel detto le pecore 1 was told thai by the flocks 

la notte di Befana, che on the night of the Epi- 
tutte favellano. F. phaoy^i^/ienthey all speak. 

The two first examples shov/ that the conjunctive 
che cannot be understood, even before the word cosa; 
and though improperly used by some, no example can 
be found for its justification in good authors. 

In English, the word which, as in the second ex- 
ample, is sometimes understood. It must then be 
supplied in Italian. 

The word when may signify either at that time in 
which, as in the following proposition, " when I heard 
that," or, in which time, as in the third example. In 
the first case, when has no reference to any preceding 
word, and is translated by quando; in the second case 
it refers to a preceding word, as, in the example, it 
stands for in which Epiphany, and is then rendered by 



117 

die. The preposition in, and the word tempo, are then 
understood ; the entire expression being, in che tempo, 
viz. nel quale tempo. 



VII. 



1. E stata una vcrgogna a 

un mio pari, che non 
sono unfanciullo. F. 

2. Dimmi chi tu se' che questo 

mifai. B. 

3. Voi non siete la prim,a, n^ 

sarcte I'uUima, la quale 
B. 



It was a shame for a man like 
me, who am not a boy. 

Tell me who thou art, who 
actest thus with me ? 

You are not the first, nor 
will you be the last, who 
is deceived. 



From the above examples it appears, that the con- 
junctives che, chi, cui, quale, may also represent every 
person of the verb, and that the verb following the 
conjunctive may agree with the personal noun or pro- 
noun; namely, io che, or, il quale, sono; tu che, or, il 
quale, sei; noi che, or, i quali, siatno, &c. 

In the third example, the word quale, not being in 
reference with the personal noun voi, but with a third 
person, the verb therefore agrees with the third person. 



VIII. 



1. Avvenne una mattina che 

egli udi alia messa uno 
evangelio, nel quale eran 
queste parole ... B. 

2. Udisli tu in quella cosa 

niuna ? B. 



The morning it happened 
that, during mass, the 
gospel was read, wherein 
were these words . . . 

Hast thou heard any thing 
therein? 



The words therein, wherein, hereby, thereof, &c. 
being equivalent to the following, in that, in which, by 
this, of that, &c. must be reproduced in the latter 
form, when translated into Italian. Those which are 
compounded with here and there, are translated by the 



118 

adjectives questo and quello, and their correspondent 
prepositions; those compounded with ivliere, are sup- 
plied by the adjective quale, mentioned in this 
chapter. 

EXERCISE XI. 

1. On his fing-er he put a ring-, wherein was a 
in dito gli porre — — * — — 

carbuncle, so brig-ht, that it appeared a flaming- torch, 
— * lucente — parere — torchio acceso 

the value of which could scarcely be estimated. 
— valor * appena si poteva slimare 

2. I have lost the labour which I thoug-ht 
— — — fatica * mi pareva 

I had well bestowed. 
ottimamente avere impiegata 

3. As they went from Milan to Pavia, they met 

andando — — ■ — — scontrarsi* 

with a g-entleman whose name was Torello, who 

was g"oing- to a fine country-house of his. 
andarsene * — — — luogo * 

4. Some went to sleep, and others, charmed with the 

* — — — — * vinto da — 

pleasantness of the place, would not. 
hellessa — — luogo andar non vi voile 

5 It did not occur to his memory who could be so 
a lui non andava per * — * — * 

wicked a man. 
malvagio * — 

6. No effect is greater than its cause, for the cause 
— — — maggiore t * cagione perohb — — 

cannot give what it has not. 

•}* It is to be observed, as an exception to the third rule given in page 68, 
that when the comparison is expressed by one of the words maggiore, mi- 
nore, migliore, peggiore, the particle than is rendered by di, whatever may 
be the word to which it is applied, excepting a proposition. 



119 

7. I know not who you are, nor do I seek to 

— sapere — * — — — addomandare — 

be informed any further than you desire I should. 
saperlo * — vi piaccia 

8. I request that thou wilt wait for me a year, a month, 

— volere — — aspetti — — — — — 
and a day, without marrying- ag-ain, reckoning- from 

— — di — rimaritarsi * inconiinciare — 
this day when I depart. 

— — * — partirsi'^ 

9. Let every one prepare to relate something- which 

— pensare di dire — * 

(■ may be useful, or at least agreeableX /to the 
possa — — — — — dilettevole/ (^) \ — — 
company. \ 
brigata /(I) 

10. There lived at that time in Pistoia, a young- man whose 

essere allora — — — — * 

name was Richard, of low birth, thoug-h very 

— — — — piccolo na^ione ma molto (2) 
rich. 

(1) 

11. Some took to reading romances, some to playing- at 

* darsi * — leg-g-ere — * — g-iucare — 

chess, and others at draug-hts, while the rest 

— — * — tavola mentre — altri 

were asleep. 
dormire 

12. What reward shall I have from you for such a 

* guider done d ebb — — — — dicosifatto 

service ? 
servigio 

13. He was in the camp of the Christians on the 

day they were surprised by Saladin 
— * — presi — il Saladino 

14. You have now heard vvhat are the two things 

— dunque udire * sieno quelle — — 

that I must have. 

* aver mi si conviene 



120 

15. To the great wonder of the count and all the other 
con — — — — — — — — — 

persons who were present, the countess related all 
* -^ — — — raccontare — 

that had happened. 



16. What was the word which induced you to 

* — quello — * muovere — — 

take pity upon iis? 
aver compassion di — 

17. To-day we have a festival, in which some bring* 

(3) (J) /are (2)— festa — * * menare 

a man clothed like a bear, and others bring- 
— — • — a modo d' f — — * 

one dressed like a wild man. 
0a guts a * — uom salvatico 

18. The lady hearing* this of him whom she loved above 

— donna udire — — colui * — — piu 

' all the world, was extremely distressed. 
che altra cosa — sommamente dolorosa 

19. Certainly I confess 1 did wrong-; but who is he 

certo — — che male ma * — colui 

that does not sometimes err ? 
* alcuna volta mal nonfaccia 

20. He came into a little meadow, surrounded with 

avvenirsi* — — (ello) prato circuito {A) * (\) 

very high trees, in one corner of which was a 
(2) (3) — r — de' canti — * -_ _ 

very fine cool fountain. 
* fontana efredda 

21. /A servant of yours, who comes from Rome,\ 
V— — * * _ _ — ^(4) 

has happened to arrive/ at my house. \ 
essere(2) capitare (S) \ — — — ^(0 



t Henceforward this particle will always be marked with a trace — , that 
the student may judge for himself whether or not it is to be translated. See 
Chapter XII. on Numeral Adjectives. 



121 

22. At Rome, which, as it is now the tail, was once the 

— — * come — oggi — — gid 
head of the world, there lived a young- man of a 
capo — — — essere — — — — 

very respectable family, called Peter. 
assai(2) onorevole (3) (1) — — 

23. Who could have ever thought that you would have 

* — mat pensare — — doveste — 

been here ? 
— qui 

24. I do not know what greater torture could have been 

— — sapere * maggior crudeltd si fosse potuta 
inflicted upon a traitor who had put to death 

usare in — — * avesse messa • — uccisione 
a whole city. 
* cittd 

25. I am undone, for the ship which has on board 

— — diserto percib che — legno * (2) ^ (3) sopra(l^ 

the goods that I expected, has been taken by 
— mercatanzia * — — — — prendere — 

the corsairs of Monaco. 



26. What estates, what rewards, what riches, but 

* — * merito * avan^o se non (2) 

friendship alone,/ could have induced Gisippo to 
amistd(S) \avrebher potuto indurre — — 

serve his friend ?\ 
soddisfare a * — / (1) 

27. The favours you have received from me, should make 

— henejicio — — ricevuti — — dehbon — 

you both obedient and faithful. 

28. The time is now come when I shall fulfil my 
(3) (4) (2) (I) * — sono per servare * 

promise to you, and when I expect you to do 

— * — * — volere che — la 

the like to me. 
serviate * 



122 

29. From thence he went home, where he declared that he 

quindi — a casa affermando se 

would return no more into the country ; which 
voler(2) (6) (1) (3) (4) villa (5) * 

was disagreeable to his father and relations, but 
guantunque grave fosse — * — — * 

yet they let him alone. 

pure lasciare(2) ?7(1) stare (S) 

30. Thou art arrived at the end to which every one 

(2) venire (I) — — * — 

tends. 
coi-rere 



CHAP. XVI. 
OF PRONOUNS. 

Variations of the Pronoun Egli. 

Singular. Plural. 

Subject. egli; he, it. eglino; they. 

Relation of) 7 • i- y ^ i,- i- 7 7 (to them, 

tendency. \"i^''Sh,h,- to him, him. alorojoro;^ j^^^_ 

Object. lui,lo,il; him, it. loro,gli,li; them. 

Variations of the Pronoun Ella. 

Singular. Plural. 

Subject. ella; she. elleno ; they. 

^ te'ndTncy! } "" '"'' ^' ' *° ^^'' ''<''• « '"'•''' '"^^ 'I * them™' 
Object. lei, la; her, it. lbro,le; them. 

There are then two forms for the object, as well as 
for the person towards whom the action tends; namely, 

For the Object. For the Relation of Tendency. 
lo,ovil; - lui. gli; - a lui. 

gli, li ; - loro. loro ; - a loro. 

la; - - lei. le ; - a lei. 

le; - - loro. loro ; - a loro. 



123 

Let us now observe their application. 

I. 

1. lo Vamo sopra ogni altra I love her above every thing. 

cosa. B. else. 

2. La giovane comincib non The young- lady beg-an to love 

meno ad amar lui che him no less than he loved 

egli amasse lei. B. her. 

3. Mai non le dird villania. B. I will never abuse her. 

4. Fa motto a lei non a me. Address thyself to her, not to 

F. me. 

We have already explained (yet the repetition of 
the principle will not be useless to the scholar, the 
theoretical and practical parts being both difficult), 
with regard to personal nouns, the application of 
which is precisely the same as that of these pronouns, 
that if one object alone depend upon the same verb, 
or the action be directed to one person alone, in a 
simple sentence, we must employ lo, la, gli, le, for 
the object, and gli, le, loro, for the person to whom 
the action is directed; but if two objects depend upon 
the same verb, or if the action be directed to two per- 
sons, in two similar sentences, in contradistinction, 
we must then use lui, lei, loro, for the former, and 
alui, a lei, a loro, for the latter, in order to give greater 
force to the expression. 

In the first example, her is the only object depend- 
ing upon the verb to love, and it is therefore translated 
by la, shortened into /'; but in the second, which con- 
tains two similar propositions, the verb to love, having 
two objects, him and her, they must be supplied by 
lui and lei. In the third, the negative action of the 
verb to tell, is addressed to one person alone, repre- 
sented by the pronoun her, and we therefore make use 
of le; in the fourth, however, the terms of the verb 
to address, being twofold, " to her and to me," a lui 
and a lei mtist be adopted. 

r2 



124 



II. 

1. Lui ho preso (innan^i ad Him have I chosen (in pre- 

ogni altro), e lui voglio ference to any other), and 

Cnon altrij. B. him will I have (no one 

else). 

2. Piil die se 1 'amava. B. He loved her more than /urn- 

self. 

3. Ella non si ricordava di She had no recollection of 

lui. B. him. 

4. Gli tenni dietro. D. I followed him. 

5. Dirimpetto a se fece star He placed her opposite to 

lei. B. himself. 

According to the above established rule, although 
the word denoting opposition be understood, as in the 
first example, yet we must still employ the more for- 
cible pronouns, which must also be used, not only if 
accompanied with the preposition a (as in the relation 
of tendency when there is opposition), but also with 
any preposition whatever, as, in the third example, 
Mm is attended by of. 

The objects depending upon the verb to love, in 
the second example, being two, himself and herself, 
it would appear from the above remarks, that lei 
should be employed in preference to la; but the 
speaker does not there intend to mark a contradis- 
tinction. If I say, for instance, L'amate molto? Do 
you love her much? the force of my question falls 
upon the verb and its modification, and the answer 
must be, Vamo piii che me stesso; if I say, Amate lei? 
Do you love her? the whole force is then given to the 
pronoun; the answer is, consequently, amo lei piu 
che me stesso*. 

* Thus, it may sometimes happen, that the reader will find in authors 
some passages deviating from the general rales established in this Grammar; 
I find it needless to point out all the exceptions, but, from being accustomed, 
in the perusal, to investigate the causes and principles of things, the student 
tvill readily discover why one expression is used preferably to another 



1 



125 

Besides the prepositions mentioned in Chapter V. 
there are other words so styled (of which we shall 
treat at their proper place), as, in the two last ex- 
amples, dietro and dirimpetto. When the pronoun in 
English is attended with such prepositions, we do not 
follow the same rule just afforded with regard to the 
other prepositions, of always employing the more for- 
cible pronoun, but we say, Gli tenni dietro, I followed 
him ; Le andai incontro, I went to meet her ; Levatigli 
dinanziy Get from before him ; placing the more simple 
pronoun under the dependency of the verb, not of the 
preposition; and, vice versa, we should say, tenni 
dietro a lui; andai incontro a lei; levati dinanzi a lui, 
if there be a second person or object in opposition, as 
in the fifth example. 

III. 

1. Pigliatelo. B. Seize hi?n. 

2. A'on la toccare. P. Oo not touch hei'. 

3. Me la porta in una sco- Bring it me in a silver cup. 

delta d'argento. B. 

4. Non sapeva come negarlo. He knew not how to deny it. 

B. 

5. Voi non gli potete ne ve- You can neither see nor hear 
dere ne udire. B. tliem. 

6. Non parendoXe tanio ser- As she thought she did not 

vire a Dio quanto voleva, serve God as much as she 

mormorava. wished, she complained. 

7. Postole in mano nn bel~ Having put a fine ring into 
lissimo anello, la licen- her hand, he dismissed 
zid. B. her. 

8. DiWe die vada per lei. B. Tell her to go for her. 

9. FagW vezsi, e dagVi ben Caress him; give Aim plenty 
da mangiare. B. to eat. 

10. Disse loro. B. He told them. 

The above examples are given, to show what place 
the pronouns lo, la, gli, le, must occupy, with regard 
to the verb upon which they depend. In familiar dis- 



126 

course, they should be placed after the verb. — l.When 
it is in the imperative, as in the first example; unless 
the command be attended with a negative, as in the 
second : I say, in familiar discourse, because we per- 
ceive by the third, that an author is not confined by 
this rule. — 2. When the verb is in the infinitive, or in 
both participles, (4th, 6th, 7th examples). The pro- 
nouns, therefore, must be placed before, and sepa- 
rated from the verb, when employed in any of the other 
three moods, the indicative, the conditional, or the 
conjunctive. The placing of the pronoun dependent 
on the infinitive, before the verb preceding- it, like an 
auxiliary, as in the 5th example, is adopted elegantly' 
We must also remark — 1. That when these pro- 
nouns are placed after the verb, they should be united 
in a single word (1st, 4th, 6th, 7th examples) ; — 2. That 
the last vowel of the infinitive is cut off (4th example), 
and that, in verbs ending in rre, an r also is cut ofi"; — 
3. That in case of these pronouns being placed after a 
tense of a verb with only one syllable, or having the 
accent upon the last vowel, the consonant of the pro- 
noun is redoubled (8th example) ; — 4. That the pro- 
noun gli does not admit of this increase (9th exam- 
ple); — 5th, That the pronoun loro is always separated 
from the verb (10th example); — lastly. That loro is 
generally placed after the verb. 

IV. 

1. MostrarW mi convien la I must show him the dark 

valle buia, D. vale. 

2. Egli il farci. B. He shall do it. 

3. lo nol so. B. I do not know it. 

4. Gliela diedi here. B. I gave it him to drink. 

5. lo non gliela ho data. F. I did not g-ive it her. 

6. Egli dice die io ho fatto He says I have done that 

quello che io credo che which I think he has done 

egli abbia fatto egli. B. himself. 



127 

The forms, li, to him or them, and il, him or it, are 
used before a word beginning with a consonant, ex- 
cepting the s, followed by another consonant, instead 
of gli and lo. When the pronoun il is preceded by the 
negative, the two particles, non il, are united in a 
single word, nol. 

The fourth and fifth examples show that the pro- 
nouns, gli, to him; le, to her, must always precede 
the following: lo, la, it; le, li, them; ne, of it, of 
them; and, in that case — 1. The form gli, serves for 
both genders; — 2. An e is supplied between these 
words; — 3. They are united into glielo, gliela, glieli, 
gliele, gliene; which must be placed, with regard to the 
verb, as explained in the preceding rule. 

As the pronoun himself, according to the sixth ex- 
ample, is translated by egli, when representing the 
subject; so herself is rendered by ella; themselves by 
eglino, elleno, or rather essi, esse. 



1. /o ne son molto dolente. B. I am very sorry /or it. 

^. Seneva aire del Garho. B. She g-oes (from thence) to 

the king of Garbo. 

3. Gi^ossa usura ne vuole. B. He expects an exorbitant in- 

terest (for it). 

4. Gittane gill alquante. B. Throw some (of them) down. 

5. lo ne [degli anni^ aveva I was seven years old. 

sette. F. 

6. Forte vi studiava. B. He gave all his attention to it, 

7. lo dalla mia puerisia I'a- I devoted myself to it from 

nimo vi disposi. B. my very childhood. 

Ne is a pronoun that refers to something spoken of, 
and then implies di questa, or quella cosa, as in the 
first example ; or it is referred to place, and then im- 
plies da questo, or quel, luogo, as in the second ex- 



128 

ample. By the third, fourth, and fifth, we learn that 
we cannot omit the pronoun ne^ when relating to some- 
thing spoken of, as in English -, it must be supplied in 
Italian, when understood in English. 

The word vi, though properly an adverb of place, 
may be used as a pronoun, as appears from the sixth 
and seventh examples, with reference to things, and 
to denote the relation of tendency. 

The place occupied by these pronouns, with regard 
to the verb, is the same as in rule 3. 

IV. 

1. Cost s'amaimno come se They loved each other as if 

stati fossero fratelli. B. they had been brothers. 

2. Ciascuno aveva e castella Each possessed castles, and 

e vassalli sotto di se. B. vassals under him. 

3. lo ho a parlar seco d'un 1 have to speak with him 

mio fatto. B. upon business. 

4. Piangendo gii si gittd a' Weeping", he fell down at his 

piedi. B. feet. 

5. Tutti i panni gli furono All his clothes were torn from 

indosso stracciati. B. his back. 

6. Lauretta, levatas'i la lau- Lauretta took the crown from 

rea di capo, in testa ad her own head, and put it 

Emilia la pose, B. upon that of Emilia. 

The office of the pronoun se, is to represent the 
object, and all its relations, referred to the subject of 
the proposition. Thus, when the pronouns, him, or 
him^self; her, or herself; them, or themselves, are refer- 
red to the subject of the proposition, namely, to the 
agent, they must be translated into Italian by the pro- 
noun se. It may, therefore, be applied to persons of 
both genders and numbers. Se, is subject to the rules 
above-mentioned respecting the other pronouns; and 
therefore we use si in a simple sentence, as in the first 
example, and se, to mark contradistinction ; as, Ella 



129 

venne a scusar se e a confortar me — She came to excuse 
herself, and to comfort me;— or when it is attended 
with a preposition, as in the second. 

It may also be observed in the first example, that 
the words each other, may be supplied in Italian by si. 

From the third it appears, that se may be employed 
instead of lui or lei, without having reference to the 
aubject, when united to the preposition con. We 
must however avoid ambiguity -, for if we were to 
translate, '' They walked on, talking with him,*' by 
Andavano seco favellando, the pronoun se might be 
mistaken as referring to the subject they; and it would 
then signify, they walked on, talking together; and 
although, in the second case, we rather use the pre- 
position fra, yet in Boccaccio we find, seco medesimi 
cominciarono a ragionare. We should therefore, in the 
former case, say, Andavano con lui favellando . 

The diction of the the fourth, fifth, and sixth exam- 
ples, is peculiar to Italian, and worthy of remark. The 
Italian style would be violated, if we were to say, 
" Piangendo si gitto a' suoi piedi; Tutti i suoi panni 
furono stracciati indosso a lui; Lauretta levata la lau- 
rea del mo capo J' If the possessive refer to the 
person to whom the action is directed, we employ a 
pronoun, indicating the relation of tendency, instead 
of the possessive, unless there be the oft-mentioned 
opposition or contradistinction. Thus, in the fourth 
and fifth examples, the possessive his, is supplied in 
Italian by the pronoun gli, to him ; and in the sixth, 
the possessive her, is represented by the pronoun si, 
to herself. Then, of course, the pronoun supplying 
the possessive, must be put immediately before of 
after the verb, according to the third rule. I have 
observed, that some of my students confound the dic- 

s 



130 

tion of the sixth example with that given in Chapter 
XIII. rule fifth, and they therefore omit the posses- 
sive, without substituting a pronoun. The pronoun 
is to be substituted, when the action tends to the 
agent. In the two sentences, " Let your eyes fall 
upon the ground — Bassa gli occhi in terra; He put his 
breast upon the edge of the urn — Pose il petto sopra 
Vorlo delV area;'' the actions fall upon ground and 
edge, and there is, therefore, no need of any pronoun; 
but in the expression of the sixth example, and the 
following, Postosi alcune petruzze in bocca — Having 
put some little stones into his mouth— the actions 
tend to the agent himself, and the pronoun si is, for 
that reason, substituted for the possessive. These 
peculiarities of the Italian language are too much 
overlooked, both by teachers and learners. 

From the sixth example it is also to be remarked, that 
no article is applied to the word capo, although it is 
used when the pronoun is substituted for the posses- 
sive, or when the possessive is understood, as in the 
above-mentioned examples — i panni gli furono strac- 
ciati; bassa gli occhi in terra. The article is, in that 
case, sometimes omitted, when the word to which, in 
English, the possessive is affixed, is attended with a 
preposition. The following are other instances: Presa 
una galla, gliela posi in bocca; Taking a pill, I put it 
into his mouth — Se la trasse di tasca; He drew it out 
of his pocket — Gli feci cenno con mano; I made him a 
sign with my hand— wherein we see that bocca, tasca, 
and mano, are used without the article. 

VII. 

1 . Voi ce r avete fatta hella. You have played us a fine 

F. trick. 

2. La piglia per lui. F. He takes his defence. 



131 

The pronoun is used when either a person or thing 
has already been spoken of; and therefore the object 
io which the pronoun refers is known. But there are 
some cases in Italian, in which we employ the pronoun, 
without any preceding mention of what it refers to; 
and custom alone will enable us to understand it. 
Such are the above examples ; in the former of which, 
the pronoun implies beffa, trick ; in the second, difesa, 
defence. Thus, when we say, Me la colgo, the pro- 
noun refers to fuga, I take flight : sard, meglio darla 
di qua; the pronoun la is referred to volta, turn ; It 
will be better to take this turn. 

The modern Italians have introduced the ridiculous 
form of address by the third person feminine, under- 
standing the words vostra signoria, which are expressed 
every moment, and bestowed indiscriminately in some 
parts of Italy ; and, consequently, increase the ab- 
surdity, by making the adjectives, which are applied 
to the person addressed, take the feminine termination. 
For instance, A che ora e tornata vostra signoria ? In 
order to avoid expressing this title, the pronoun ella 
should be used for the subject; but, generally, some 
make use of lei, and some of lui, which pronouns can 
only represent the object. Fortunately, this mode is 
admissible only in conversation and in familiar writing; 
for it cannot but tend to deprive the language of force, 
fluency, and dignity. Even in comedy, which is a 
representation of manners and customs, this servile 
politeness has not been admitted. 



s2 



132 



EXERCISE XII. 

1. Having kept this money nearly a year, in order to 

— serhati — danari bene — — per 

return it him, and not having- seen him again, I 
rendere * * — — rivedendo * — 

at last gave it for the sake of God. 
dare * — — amor — — 

2. (Thou) give him a pair of poor shoes, an 

dare * qualche paio — scarpetta — 

old coat, and foster him. 
cappuecio vecchio — lusingare * 

3. They divided his works in such a manner, that he 

par tire — fatica — sifatto — — — — 

was able to support them. 
potere comportare * 

4. I reproved him the other day, and he has ill 

— riprendere * — altrieri — — m' 

performed what he promised me. 
attenere * — •* 

5. He resolved to make a discovery oft himself, and to 

deliberare — palesare * — — 

remove her from the ignorance (which) she laboured 
trarre * — — inganno * (2) essere (3) 

under. 
in (1) 

6. Though I be unworthy of it, I intend, with your 
come che — — non degno * — — — — 

leave, to take it. 
licensa — prendere * 

J7. God had mercy on him, and received him into his 

— — misericordia di * — (5) *(4) (1) (2) 

kingdom. 
regno (3) 

t This preposition is omitted in Italian, because the relation of qualifica- 
tion is changed into an object. The student will meet with similar alterations 
in the Exercises. 



133 

8. We have taken this man out of the frying--pan, and 

— — trarre costui — — padella — 

have thrown him into the fire. 
gittare * — — — 

9. (Thou) go then, said the lady, and call him, and 

— dunque — — donna — — * — 

bid him to come hither to the fire. 
dire * die qua se ne venga — — — 

10. They resolved to tie him to the rope, and to let 

deliberare * — — fune — — collare 

him down into the well. 
* — — — 

11. He yawned, and rubbed his eyes. 

— shadigliare — stropicciare * — 

12. By many arguments he endeavoured to turn her 
con parole assai ingegnarsi* — rivolgere * 

from so cruel a resolution. 
— SI fiero — proponimento 

13. 1 loved your daughter, still love her, and ever 
— — figliuola e — — (2) 

shall (love)> because I hold her worthy of 

(1) perci^ che reputare (d^) * (2) (1) — 

my love. 

14. She could never remove him from herself. 

non potere mat partire * — * 

15. The lady, seeing- (him), and hearing" him, desired he 

— donna — * — udire * pregollo 

would come into the tower, that she might speak 
che venisse — — — accid che — potere — 
to him. 

16. If you will not grant me this favour, send me 

— — volere — fare * — grasiafar venire — 

at least a glass of water, that I may moisten my 
almeno — bicchier — — che — potere bagnare * 

lips, 
bocca 



134 

17. Though I have not a thousand, I had a hundred, 
perche — abhia — — * — 

and even tv^o (hundred), to give you. 
— anche — — da — — 

18. There, many times, they talked together, and 

quivi spesso volta favellarsi* — — 

shook hands. 
toccarsi * la mano ** 

19. She called to her one of her maids, in whom she 

— a * — * earner ier a di * — 

had great confidence, and thus said to her. 
conjidarsi * molto — si dire * 

20. Let us use them and their things, as they do 

trattare * — * — — * trattare (4) 

us and ours. 
*(1)(2)*(3) 

21. (Thou) make use of Fortune's offer; do not expel 

usare — — * benejicio — cacciare 

her ; go to meet her, and receive her coming. 

* farsi* incontro * — (3) lei(\) vegnente(2) 

22. Having taken him to a window, she made him open 

menare * — — g/^; — ^ 

his mouth. 

* 

23. There is none of them that thinkf of it. 

24. The delay of his departure from Rome, will be of 

— indugio — — partita — — — — 

greater injury to him than to you. 
— pregiudisio * — * 

25. If I had any body under my hand, fit for it, I 
— — a * mani che fosse da do — 

would send him to her. 
mandare * * 



f Pensarc governs the relation of tendency. See Rule V. 



135 

26. He distorted /his hands, fingfers, arms, legs, mouth, 
storcere(^l) \ * — dito — — — 

eyes, and his whole face,\ in such a manner, that 

_ _ * * viso/(4){2) guisa(S) — 

he became frig-htfiil to look at. 
^era cosa pareva a vedere 

j27. The priest, having- taken off his cloak, gave it her. 
— — trarre o * tabarro — * 

28. (Thou) leave it not to be devoured by the fowls, 

lasciar * — divorare — — uccello 

unless he ordered it. 
salvo se — comandare il * 

29. Griselda went cheerfully to meet her, saying. Be 

— farsi * lietamente incontro * — hen 

welcome, my lady, 
venga la — donna 

30. I thought he would take my defence, and, on 
— credere che pigliasse * — in 

the contrary, he takes hers. 
quello scamhio — — * per lei 

31. Thou hast indeed played us a trick; but 

— — ben fare — * — 

nobody shall ever play us another. 
mai piu persona non — — * 

32. Here is a wicked fellow, that has taken my purse 
egli e qua — malvagio uomo — — tagliare * — 

with about a hundred pounds. 

— ben — — lira sterlina 



18G 



GHAP. XYII 

ON DEMONSTRATIVE, AND OTHER PRONOUNS, 
OF PECULIAR NATURE. 



1. Chi e cestui che 'I nostra Who is this man that runs 

monte cerchia ? D. over our mountain ? 

2. Costei e una bella giovane. This is a fine girl. 

B. 

3. Udi cib che costoro di lui He heard what these people 

dicevano, B. said about him. 

4. Colui che piil sied' alto, He who is in the most ele- 

Ridolfo imperatorfu. D. vated place, was the em- 

peror Rodolph. 

5. L'altra b colei che s' ancise The other is she, who, being- 

amorosa. D. enamoured, killed herself. 

6. Che dir em not a coloro J B. What shall we say to those 

men? 

The pronouns costni, this man ; costei, this woman ; 
which both make costoro, these people, in the plural, 
indicate persons near to the speaker; — colui, that man; 
colei, that woman ; and coloro, those people, refer to 
persons distant both from the speaker and from the 
party addressed. The word cotestui, denoting a per- 
son near to the party addressed, not being used, we 
may then make use either of costui or colui, costei or 
colei, according to the distance from the speaker. 
These pronouns may represent alike the subject, the 
object, and their relations. 



137 



II. 

1. Questi e Rinier, D. This is Reynier* 

2. S' V non fossi impedito, If I were not prevented, I 

cotesti . . . guarderei io. would look at him who 

D. is at your side. 

3. Quegli e Omero, poeta so- Tliat is Homer, the prince of 

vrano. D. poets. 

The pronouns questi, cotesti, and quegli, this, or that 
man, and which must not be confounded with the 
plurals of the demonstrative adjectives already treated 
of in the 14th Chapter, can only represent the subject 
of the proposition (although Dante deviates from this 
rule in the second example), and can only be applied 
to one individual of the male kind. Questi, denotes a 
person near to the speaker ; cotesti, near to the party 
addressed; quegli, distant from both. Thus, there are 
two demonstrative pronouns, which may be employed 
indifferently, to denote an individual of the male kind, 
representing the subject of the sentence; namely, 
questi and costui, this man ; quegli and colui, that man ; 
I say, when they represent the subject; for in every 
other instance we may use only costui, colui, &c. 

III. 

1. Co&iei non potea lo sdegno This woman could not curb 

dello animo porre in terra. her passion. 

B. 

2. Chi sarebbe colui che nol Who could he he, who would 

credesse? B. not believe it? 

3. Egli esaudisce colore che He hears those who pray to 

'I priegano. B. him. 

4. Miseri quelli che con le Wretched are they who feed 

pecore hanno comune in common with the flocks. 

cibo ! D. 

5. Chi h quei di cui tu par- Who is he, of whom thou 

lain era? D. wert just speaking? 



138 

Questif costui, costei, and costoro, are also employed 
figuratively, to denote persons defined by what has 
preceded in the discourse, and who are therefore pre- 
sent to our mind ; quegli or colui, colei and coloro, to 
denote persons indefinite, and consequently distant 
from our mind*; the latter are, for that reason, always 
followed by a specifying proposition. Now, as the 
English, in allusion to the words quegli or colui, colei 
and coloroj which they have not, employ the pronouns 
he, she, they, which correspond with egli, ella, eglino, 
elleno, mentioned in the preceding chapter, we must, 
in translating from English, distinguish these two 
senses. The pronouns he, she, they, are rendered in 
Italian by quegli or colui, colei and coloro, when fol- 
lowed by who. 

The adjective quelli or quegli (which latter we must 
be careful not to confound with the pronoun singular 
just mentioned), may be used instead of coloro, as 
appears from the fourth example. 

Quegli is sometimes shortened into ^W6t, as in the 
fifth example. 

IV. 

1 . Non mi pno confortare al- No one but you can comfort 

tri che tu. B. me. 

2. lo non torrei mai altri che 1 would never m'arry any 

la sorella d' Alessandro. other but Alexander's sis- 

F. ter. 

3. Tu non I'hai sentito dire You cannot have heard this 

da altri che da quel tri- from any other but that 

sto. F. wicked man, 

4. E poco senno a dilettarsi It is no mark of good sense, 

di schernire altrui. B. to take delight in deceiv- 

ing others. 

* I employ these expressions, to exemplify the passage of these words 
from the physical to the figurative sense ; having shown that questi and 
coatui designate persons near to, quegli and colui^ those distant from, our 
view. 



]39 

5. Se io Vavessi, ad altrui If I had it, 1 would lend it to 

lo pr ester ei. B. others. 

6. Hai tu mai tolte delV al- Hast thou ever taken any 

Xxm cose7 B. thing from o^/iers ? 

7. Se I'altre volte si poco ti If it always costs you so little 

costa it soddisfare al- to satisfy others , . . 

trui ... D. 

The pronoun altri (which we must distinguish from 
the plural of the adjective altro), signifying altraper- 
sona, another person, or any one else, may express 
the subject, object, and their relations, as we gather 
from the three former examples. Altrui may signify 
Vuomo, man; un uomo, a man; gli altri uomini, others; 
and may supply the personal noun, us, when employed 
generally for men. Altrui cannot represent the sub- 
ject. This pronoun is frequently placed between the 
article and its substantive, and the preposition di is 
then omitted, as we see in the sixth example, the 
direct order of which is delle cose di altrui. The prepo- 
sition a may also be understood before altrui, accord- 
ing to the seventh example. The pronouns altri and 
altrui, may also imply a certain person, which the 
speaker intentionally omits expressing, in order that 
he w'ho is addressed, or a third person, may supply 
it; as, when Boccaccio says, Tanto sa altri quanto 
altri, One knows as much as other people ; Etti egli 
gid uscito di meute, da stamane in qud,, Vavet-e altrui 
ingiuriato? Has it already escaped thy memory, that 
thou hast abused a person this morning ? — wherein one 
and people stand for I and thou; and a person, for a par- 
ticular individual well known to the party addressed. 



T 2 



140 



V. 

1 . Sappiate di certo ch' egli Know for certain that it was 

^ stato desso. B. he. 

2. Questa e dessa. B. It is she. 

3. II giovanecolseunafoglia, The youth plucked a leaf, 

e con essa s'incomincid a and began to rub his teeth 

stropicciare i denti. B. with it. 

4. Essi fanno ritratto da They show from whence they 

quello onde nati sono. B, are descended. 

5. Gli disse che gli dovesse He requested the favour of 

piacere d' andare a smon- him to alight, and visit 

tare con esso Ghino al Ghino /itmse//*at his castle. 

castello. B. 

6. Di' che venga a desinar Desire her to come and dine 

con esso noi. B. with us. 

Desso implies egli stesso; dessa (ella stessa); dessi 
(eglino stessi); desse (elleno stesse); therefore these 
pronouns can represent only the subject of the propo- 
sition. .The expressions, it is he, it is she, it is they, 
are translated into egli e desso, ella e dessa, or e desso, 
e dessa, sono dessi, sono desse. Desso implies also 
quella medesima persona, or cosa; either the same, the 
very person or thing. 

From the variations into essa, essi, esse, and from the 
fifth example, taken from Boccaccio, it appears that 
the word esso is an adjective like stesso; but that it is 
usually employed as a pronoun, and is mostly applied 
to inanimate things. With regard to persons, it is used 
instedid of eglino siiid elleno ; which pronouns are very 
seldom employed. 

The expression, con esso noi, of the sixth example, 
and its similar, con esso me, con esso lei, &c. are not 
now used ; but as they are found in the best authors, 
they merit explanation. As a pronoun admits of no 
adjective, the adjective esso, in such instances, is 
not applied to the pronoun, but to the word individuo. 



141 

understood ; and the pronoun is only a determination 
of this generic name. The final vowel of the adjec- 
tive esso, does not therefore agree, either in gender or 
in number, with the subsequent pronoun. 

VI. 

1. Cio mi tormenta piu die It torments me more than 

questo letto. D. this bed. 

2. A cio nonfu* io sol. D. I was not alone to do it. 

We have seen in the preceding Chapter, that the 
pronoun it, is rendered by egli, for the subject, and by 
lo and la, for the object ; and in Chapter XIV. rule se- 
venth, that, when it is emphatical, it may be translated 
by the demonstrative quello. In the latter case, be- 
sides the adjective esso, there is also the pronoun cio, 
which, as appears from these examples, may represent 
the subject, the object, and their relations. These 
words, however, are not employed indiscriminately. 
Cio is used to indicate the matter of a previous dis- 
course. (See page 106). — In the third example of the 
preceding rule, for instance, essa, referring to foglia, 
could be substituted for quella, but not by either la or 
do. The former pronoun cannot support a preposition, 
the latter cannot be applied to one thing alone. 

VII. 

1. DaW una parte mi trae On one side I am influenced 

I' amove il quale io fJio by the love that I have 

sempre portato, d'altra always borne thee ; on the 

mi trae giustissimo sde- other, by a very just dis- 

gno ; qnegWvuole die io dain: the former pleads 

ti perdoni, e questi vuole that I should forg-ive thee ; 

die, contro a mia natura, the latter excites me to 

in te incrudelisca, B. be cruel to thee, contrary 

to my nature. 

2. r son colei che ti die' tanta I am she who tormented thee 

guerra. P.t so much. 

t Petrarch, in a vision, is brought to heaven; he there meets with 
Laura, who expresses herself in this manner. 



142 

Questi, as appears from the first example, serves 
also to mark the latter of two individuals already 
mentioned, nearest in the order of words ; quegli, the 
former. 

Remark in the second example, that, although Laura 
is present, and near to Petrarch, she de.signates her- 
self by colei, the pronoun which points out a distant 
object, for the reason already mentioned in rule third ; 
namely, that the person to whom she alludes, and 
whom she represented in this life, is indefinite, un- 
known to the party addressed. 

The verb of the specifying proposition which always 
follows such expressions, should agree with the sub- 
ject of the preceding proposition, and not with the de- 
monstrative pronoun ; namely, io son colei die ti diedi; 
tu sei colei che mi desti; ella e colei che mi diede. 



EXERCISE XIII. 

1. Passing by the cell, he heard the buzzing- 

— davanti a — — sentire — schiamazsio 

which these people made together. 
(2) (1) 

2. Blessed are they who sit at the table where angels' 

heato * * quella mensa — — * 

bread is eaten I 
— si mangia 

3. Neither they, nor any one else, ought to be surprised 

ne * — * doversi'^ maravigliare 

at it. 
ne 

4. This fellow, whom I am looking for, though he 

* * — andare cercare quantunque 

be of low condition, shows well enough that he is 
— — mostrare assai bene d' essere 

of superior understanding. 
— alto senno 



143 

5. He who is blind with regard to discretion, 

* * — cieco del lume della discresione sempre 

is directed in his judgments by the general cry, 
andare — — giudicio secondo — grido 

whethert right or wrong. 
* diritto — falso 

6. If I ever found a woman averse to 

— (2) mai(\) trovarne* alcuno sch{fo(4) di{\) 

such follies, it is she. 
questo (2) sciocchessa (3) * 

7. I hold it a great folly in him who 

— reputare quella(3) (1) foUia(2) di * 

unnecessarily undertakes to try the power of others' 
sensa bisogno mettersi * * tentare — forze — * 

wit. 

ingegno 

8. This is a poor man, deaf and dumb, who 

* — — — — — — mutolo * 

came the other day to ask charity. 
un di questi di ci venne per limosina 

9. When these people had heard this, nothing farther 
come * — udire * nonpm(2^ avanti(S^ 
was necessary. 

bisognai^e (^l) 

10. The pusillanimous always esteems his things 

— — — credere — — 

to be of little value, and others' of great. 
valer paco — * assai 

11. The law says, that he who is the cause of an evil 

— — volere — * * cagione — il male 

committed, is equally guilty with him who 
che si fa sia in quella medesima colpa che * * 

commits it. 
fare * 

12. This is a foreign gentleman, good-natured and 

* — — gentile uom forestiere piacevole — 
courteous, and much beloved in this city. 

t Whether, in this case, is subject to the same rule as eithery page BO. 



144 

13. He who acts virtuously, clearly shows 

* * adoperare (2) (1) apertamente — 

himself to be noble. 
* gentile 

14. Then he began to look stedfastly at him, 
allora — (2) riguardare (S) Jiso (1} * 

and found that it was he. 

— parvegli * 

15. We shall be badly off in every way, should this fellow 

— stiam male — — guisa se * 

die. 
muore 

16. Every vice may become a great injury to him who 
ciascun — — tornare in gravissima noia di * * 

practises it, and often to others. 
usare — — molte volte - — * 

17. Not imagining they were the same (robes), he 

— estimare die fossero * 

replied. My lord, I know not any one of them. 
rispondere — — — — — — — ne 

18. Receive kindly the last gift of her whom, living, 

— benignamente -^ — dono — * « — 

thou lovedst so dearly. 

— — cotanto 

. 19. He was gazed upon for a considerable time before 

— — gucttare lungamente prima che 

any one could believe that he was the very person. 

— potesse — — 'I fosse * 

20. Folly often brings a man down from a 
sciocchesza spesse volte trarre * di — 

happy state, and places him in very great misery. 

— — — mettere — * — 

21. The judge asked him, whether what these people 

— — domandare — se — * 

said against him was true. 

(3) incontro « (1) * (2) fosse — 



145 

22. Travelling- with these people, he mildly inquired 
camminare — * dolcemente domandare 

of them, who the monks were that rode 

— * (2) monaco (S) fossero {I) — cavalcare 

before with such a retinue. 
avanti — tanto — famiglia 

23. He had long- studied at Paris, not for the sake 

— lungamente — a — — — 

of retailing his learning", but to know the 

vender * scienza al minuto — — sapere — 

reason of thing's, and the cause of them. 
ragion — — — — cagion — * 

24. The wise scholar, having laid his philosophy 

— savio — lasciati * pensier Jilosofici 

aside, turned his thoughts entirely to 

da una parte rivolgere (4) * (2) animo (3) tutto (1) — 

this lady. 

25. Open thy mind to my words, and remember, that once, 

— * animo — — — — ricordarsi * — •— 

only once, does it happen, that fortune comes to us 
senza piu solere avvenire — — farsi * * incon- 

with a cheerful countenance, and her lap full of favours. 
tro — illietoQZ) viso(^i) — * grembo aperto 

26. The next day, having taken his guitar, he played 

— altro di recare * riheha cantare 

several songs upon it, to the great amusement of 
— canzone con * con — diletto — 

all the company. 

— — hrigata 

27. There are many, who, speaking like fools, say that 

— — — — semplicemente — — 

love deprives us of our understanding. 
— trarre * — * senno 



U 



140 



CHAP. XVIII. 

RESPECTING THE USE OF THE PARTICLE SL 



I. 

1. Nulla cosa piu cava si Nothing* is more dearly pur- 

compra che quella dove i chased than that for which 

prieghi si spendono, D. prayers are paid. 

2. Piacevi che il vostro corpo Does it please you, that your 

sia seppellito al nostra body be buiied in our con- 

luogo ? B. vent ? 

4. Se cost e savio come si If he be as wise as it is 
dice ... B. said . . . 

There is in Italian a peculiar manner of translating 
those expressions, wherein the participle of a verb is 
preceded by the auxiliary to he, in the third person; as, 
in the above, is purchased^ are paid, is said: to under- 
stand which, it is to be observed, in the first place, 
that the propositions, Vuomo compra una cosa, and 
una cosa e comperata dalV nomo, have the same mean- 
ing. There is only a different form in the expression : 
in the former, the subject of the sentence is repre- 
sented by the agent; whilst in the latter, that office 
is performed by whatever bears the action, the agent 
representing the point from which that action pro- 
ceeds. Secondly, a verb attended with the particle si, 
has the same signification as the participle of the 
same verb preceded by the auxiliary essere: for exam- 
ple, in the above sentences, si compra, implies e com- 
perata; si spendono^ sono spesi; sia seppellito, si sep- 
pellisca; si dice, e detto. Nay, as Biagioli remarks, the 
former expression has been introduced as the more 
elegant, and is now used instead of the latter; which 
is, however, more simple, and more suited to the prin- 



147 

ciples of general grammar. But, as this expression 
has already undergone two alterations from its original 
and simplest form, we will show its gradual transition 
from one to another, supplying in the last, those words 
which are understood : 



CL'uomo non compra alcuna cosa. 
, . 1 L'uomo spende prieghi. 

' j Piacevi che not seppelliamo il vostro corpo? 
C L'uomo dice come. 

C Nulla cosa e comperata dalV uomo. 
o^ J ) Prieghi sono spesi dalV uomo. 

M Piacein che il vostro corpo sia seppellito da noi? 
C Come e detto dalV uomo. 
C Nulla cosa si compra (dalV uomo). 
3rd } Prieghi si spendono (daW uomo). 

' j Piacevi che il vostro corpo si seppellisca (da noij ? 
(. Come si dice (dalV uomo). 

Thus, in the third analysis, we see— 1. That the 
individual by whom the action is performed, is always 
understood ;— 2. That if the subject is in the plural, 
the verb attended with si, must also be in the plural; 
for the same reason, that the participle of a verb con- 
jugated with essere, agrees with its subject; — 3. That 
if the subject be a pronoun, as it, in the third example, 
it is very seldom expressed 5—4. That the verb at- 
tended with si, should be placed in the same mood and 
tense as the auxiliary before the participle ; so that if 
the above sentences w ere expressed thus : " Nothing 
was purchased ; prayers should be paid ; your body 
will be buried ; it was said"— we should say in Italian, 
Nulla si comperava ; prieghi si spenderebbero ; il vostro 
corpo si seppellirxi; si diceva. 

Some of my pupils have observed to me, that this 
Chapter is not sufficiently clear. I allow that it may 
appear so, on account of the novelty of the subject in 
grammar; but the defect might also proceed from the 

u2 



148 

scholar not having well remarked the definition of the 
words which I employ in this work, as I have already 
cautioned him in page 44. If he is not familiar, for 
instance, with the technical words, subject, object, 
agent, &c. I am aware that these explanations will 
appear obscure to him. 

II. 

1 . Campiamo, che noi siamo Let us fly, for we are at- 

assaliti, B. tacked. 

2. Voi siete il piii desiderata. You are the most desired. 

F. 

3. Aspettan me? F. Are they waiting for me ? 

4. Non fia men creduto a me I will be believed no less 

che a voi, B. than you. 

5. Se egli avviene che d'al- Should any oue ask me a 

cuna cosa io sia doman- question . . . 

dato . . . B. 

From these examples we learn, that the participle 
and the verb essere, cannot be supplied by the verb 
attended with the particle si, when the subject is one 
of the personal nouns, to, tu, &c. because this con- 
struction, as we have remarked in the first rule, is 
allowable in the third person only ; nay, even in the 
third person, it is only used when the subject is inani- 
mate, real or abstract. If the subject ^ere a person, 
it would create an ambiguity between this particle 
and the pronoun si, himself, herself^ &c. From the 
second and third examples we perceive that we may 
say, as in English, aspettan (eglino) me ? as well as 
sono io aspettato (da loro)? (eglino) desideran voi; or 
voi siete desiderato (da loro J; (eglino J ci assaliscono, 
or noi siamo assaliti (da loro J; but we cannot, as ap- 
pears from the fourth example, represent the subject 
by the person to whom the action is directed; as, in 
English, I am told, you qire promised, he is believed. 



149 

These expressions are equivalent to the following: 
they tell to me, they promise to you, they believe to him. 
Whenever such verbs, which have a relation of ten- 
dency under their dependence, are expressed in English 
in the former way, they must be rendered in Italian 
according to the latter. We can say, mi si dice, mi 
dicono, or mi e detto ; gli si crede, gli credono, or gli e 
creduto ; vi si promette, vi promettono, or vi e promesso. 
The verb domandare, as appears from the fifth ex- 
ample, is an exception to this rule ; because the person 
asked, may, in Italian, represent either the object or 
the relation of tendency. We say, for instance, either 
domandare alcuno d'una cosa, or domandare una cosa 
ad alcuno; therefore, alcuno esser domandato d'una cosa, 
is equivalent to, and may be employed for, domandare 
alcuno d'una cosa. Rubare, to rob, is subject to the 
same rule. 

III. 

1. Si e pubblicata la huona The g-ood news has been 

rtuova. Caro. published. 

2, In questa contrada non None is to be found in this 

se Tie truova niuna. B, country. 

As si pubblica signifies e pubblicata, it is published, 
so, by adding the particle si to the verb essere, in the 
present, followed by a participle, we express a past 
tense; and therefore si e pubblicata is equivalent to 
e stata pubblicata. The second example shows, that 
the particle si changes into se, when followed by the 
pronoun ne, of it; but as the English very seldom 
express the pronoun relating to something spoken of, 
they must supply it in Italian. 



150 



IV. 

1. La natura vuole cite or- Nature will have us proceed 

dinatamente si proceda with order in our acquire- 

nella nostra conoscenza. ments. 

D. 

2. Di e notte ci si lavora. B. Here they work both day 

and nig-ht. 

3. Dove si va, coppia ? F. Where are you going-, both 

of you? 

4. A grand' agio vi si poteva One mig-ht easily put his hand 

metier la mano e il brae- and arm up. 

cio. 

5. Malagevolmenle si puo da It is not an easy matter for us 

noi conoscere quello che to know what we are to 

joer no* si faccia. B. do. 

6. Vassi in Sanleo, discendesi One g-oes to Sanleo, descends 

in Noli, montasi su Bi- to Noli, mounts to the 

smantova in cacume. D. top of Bismantova. 

As we have already seen, the expressions, Vuomo 
compra una cosa, una cosa e comperata dalV uomo, una 
cosa si compra dalV uomo, are equivalent in significa- 
tion; the following, likewise, noi procediamo, Vuomo 
lavora, voi andate, are equivalent to da noi si procede, 
dair uomo si lavora, da voi si va. But as, in the 
latter instance, the person from whom the action 
proceeds, and the preposition da, are generally un- 
derstood, we may establish the following rule : When, 
in English, one of the words, people, one, they, we, 
is employed in a general sense, and represents the 
subject of a verb which does not admit of an object, 
as those above mentioned, and the like, correre, to 
run; potere, to be able; dormire, to sleep, &c. in 
Italian — 1. That word is omitted ;— 2. The verb must 
be preceded by the particle si;-~3. If the verb is in 
the plural, it must be put in the third person of the 
singular, thus: people run, si corre; they sleep, si 
dorme; one cannot, non si pub. We say also, putting 



151 

the verb in the plural, according to the English form, 
and omitting the pronoun eglino — corrono, dormono, 
non possono. The former expression is usually em- 
ployed. 

From the second and fourth examples, it is evident 
that the adverbs ci, vi, here, there, must always pre- 
cede the particle si. 

The fifth example, in which Boccaccio expresses 
the words da noi and per noi, is a sufficient proof that 
the agent, and the preposition da, or per, are always 
understood in similar sentences. 

In order that the student may not confound these 
verbs with those mentioned in the first and second 
sections, we make the following distinction: The 
verbs of the first section are changed from their pri- 
mitive construction ; instead of the thing acted upon 
representing the object, and being governed by the verb, 
'* one buys it," in the substituted form represents the 
subject, and governs the verb to he, and the participle, 
"it is bought by one." In that case, Italians make 
use of the particle si, if the subject of the verb to he 
is a thing, and preserve the English construction, as 
we have observed in the first part of the second sec- 
tion, if that subject be represented by a person. The 
verbs treated of at the end of the second section, are 
also altered from their primitive construction ; but, 
with regard to them, it is not the thing acted upon 
that is turned into the subject, it is the person to 
whom the action is directed — " They promise to you; 
you are promised." This construction is not admis- 
sible in Italian; and we may express it in three 
different ways, as appears by the second part of the 
second section. The verbs treated here have neither 
object nor relation of tendency ; the action is confined 



152 

within the ag^nt; they retain their natural construc- 
tion in English, and are altered in Italian ; instead of 
Vuomo dorme, we have substituted si dorme (dalV 
uomo). 

Observe, in the sixth example, that the particle si 
may be placed after the verb, to give the expression 
a greater fluency; the s must, in that case, be re- 
doubled, either after a monosyllable, or any form of 
the verb accented on the last vowel. 

V. 

1. EgU non si vuol dire. B. It is not to be said. 

2. Servar si \og\iono ipatti. We must keep our agree- 

B. ments. 

3. Questi Lombardi cani, li These Lombards, these extor- 

quali a chiesa non sono tionate villains, whom the 

voluti ricevere, non ci si church disdains to receive 

vogliono piu sostenere. into her bosom, should be 

B. suffered no longer. 

These expressions are altered from their former 
simplicity, according to the principle established in 
the first rule. The object acted upon represents the 
subject of the proposition, and the agent by whom it 
is performed is understood. The following is the 
gradual change which they undergo; the words be- 
tween parentheses are understood. 

, , ^ ( La pruden^a) non lo vuole, i. e. il dire. 

' ( (La giustisiaj vuole i patti servare, or, essere servati, 

C Egli, i. e. (il) dire non e voluto (dalla pi^udensa). 
2nd, ^ I patti servare, or, essere servati, sono voluti (dalla 
C giusti^iaj, 

C Egli, i. e. (il) dire non si vuole (dalla prudensa). 
3rd, i I patti servare, or, essere servati, si vogliono (dalla 
t giustizia). 

The progression from the second to the third change, 
may be seen in the third of the above examples, in 



153 

which both forms are used. The verb volere, in these 
expressions, supplies, as the more elegant, dovere, to 
be obliged. By the first we learn also, that the negative 
should always precede the particle si, unless there be 
one of the adverbs vi, ci, as in the third example ; in 
which case, that adverb is placed between the nega- 
tive and the particle si. 

We have remarked. Rule II. that, to avoid ambi- 
guity, the diction with the particle si should not be 
used, when the subject is a person; the last example, 
however, proves that it is occasionally done. 

VI. 

1. All' amico dee Vuomo con- Man oug-ht privately to con- 

tare il suo difetto segre- fess his faults to his friends. 

tamente, D. 

2. Sono alquanti die vogUono There are some who pretend 

che Vuomo gli tenga di- to be considered as elo- 

citori, D. quent speakers. 

3. E dolce il pianto piu ch' Weeping is more agreeable 

altri non crede. P. than is supposed. 

When we utter a maxim, we use the simple and 
direct construction. Instead of saying (dalV uomo) si 
dee; (dalV uomo) vogUono esser tenuti; (da altri) non 
si crede; we say, as in the above examples, Vuomo 
dee; vogUono che Vuomo gli tenga; altri non crede. 



EXERCISE XIV. 

1. Son, thou hast done well, and must do 
figliuolmio (2) (3) (1) — volere * Ql) (3) 

so for the future. 
cost (I) innanzi 

2. Things which are done for the service of God, 

— -— * — a — servigio — — 
should all be done purely, and without any 

deono(2) (4) * (1) (3) nettamente — _ — 
rust of the heart. 

— — animo 

X 



154 

3. Very few tliing-s of value may be coveted in the 

* — — valor e * hramare(A) (1) (2) 

w^orld, that are not attended with a thousand 
(3) die sieno — carico * — — 

dang-erous circumstances. 
pericoloso accideiite 

4. Perceiving" that he was not believed, he g-ave 

vedere — * — — — — a 

these fellows two couples of fowls. 
* — paio — cappone 

5. The habit of virtue, moral as well as intellectual, 

— - - - (2) (1) - - 
cannot be obtained on a sudden, but must 

(3) * avere (2) subitamente (1) — convenire che 
bet acquired throug-h use. 
*(3) (4) (1) usan^a(2) 

6. There will be a thousand ways to manag-e that it 

egli ci avrd — — - modo da far si — 
shall never be known. 
mai non * — 

7. The king- ordered, that before the palace g-ates 

— — comandare — avanti che — palagio* — ■ 
were§ opened, his whole househould should appear 

* — * famiglia venire 

before him. 
davanti * 

8. The first science is called metaphysics. 

* 

9. He was sent under a strong g-uard to the penitentiary, 

* — con — buono — casa 

to underg-o the penance of the crime committed. 

— patir penitensa — — peccato — 

10. True it is, that in this, / as well as in other thing-sj, 

hilvero — (2) (3) \— — — 

it is necessary\ to consider when, where, 

— y (\) da riguardare e il tempo eil luogo 
and to whom we are speaking". 
— con — * favellare 

t Put this verb in the present subjunctive, and that of the seventh exam- 
ple, marked §, in the imperfect of the same mood. 

X Is it in some things only, or in all, that we are to consider? &c. An 
article is required in the latter case ; none in the former. 



155 

11. They did not dare help him; on the contrary, they 

— ardire aiutare — an^i 

cried out with the others, that he should be 

gridare insieme — — — — * 

killed. 

12. It is believed that the sea-coast from Reg*g"io to Gaeta, 

* — — — marina — — — — 

is the pleasantest part of Italy. 

sia — dilettevole* ■ — — — 

13. He now made a pretence of sending" word to the 

— allora — — vista — mandare a dire — — 

inn, that he should not be expected to supper. 
albergo — — * attendere — cena 

14. The next morning* it was known all round the 

— mattina seguente * — per tutta — ■ 

country how this thing had happened. 
contrada come — — essere stato 

15. This door makes such a noise when it is opened, 

— uscio — si gran romore quando * — 

that I should easily be heard. 

— — leggiermente * sentire 

16. I am sensible that great and valuable things are not 
— conoscere — * — (2) caro(3) (1) * — 

to be attained without trouble. 
potere acquistare (S) (1) fatica(2) 

17. Unhappy wretch! what will be said by thy brothers, 

oh sventurato — * — — — — 

relations, and friends, when it shall be known? 
parente — — — * — 

18. Whoever carries it about him, is not seen by 

* portare la sopra di * * -^ — -t- 

any body where he is not. 

* — 

19. Every shade being withdrawn, things were evidently 

— — partiiasi — * manifestamente 
distinguished. 

conoscere 

20. It must not be mentioned to others. 
* volere* — * ragionare(^) cow(l) * (2) 

x2 



156 

21. She had already been lamented at home 

* gid — piangere{4) (1) casa(2) sua(3) 
as lost and dead. 
per — — * — 

22. You are come to a place where nothing- is feared. 

— — — in — parte — di niente ci * temere 

23. If I know how to appear dumb, I shall certainly 
— far vista d' esser mutolo — per certo 

be received there. 

24. For Luke and Andrew 1 feel such sorrow 

a — — — portare(S) *(^l^ compassione(2) 

as /one oug*ht to feel\ /for the misfortune of a 

* \ * dovere — /(2)\— infortunio 

friend.\ 

- >'o) 

25. Two kinds of stones, of very great virtue, are to be 

— maniera — pietra — grande^ — * 
found there. 

— ci * 

26. If, through our imperfections, we cannot fully 

— — — vi^io * pienamente 
attain the friendship of any one, we should yet 

acquistare — — — alcuno almeno 

make it a pleasure to oblig^e. 
diletto prendiamo del servire 

27. The more one speaks of Scipio Africanus, the more 

— — * — — Scipione — — - — 
remains to be said in his praise. 
restare da(4) parlare(^5) (1) (2) laude(S} 

28. I beg that what you tell me may be done immediately ; 

— * — — — — dire — * — tosto 

for to-morrow is the last day that I must be 

percid che — — — — di dovere * 

expected. 
ai 



29. Do what thou art told, and do not inquire any farther. 
— — * * — _„ ^ — cercar * Id 

30. The evening being arrived, the provost came, as 
(2) (3) venuta{l) — proposto — come 
he had been ordered. 

* * — ordinare 



157 



CHAP. XIX. 

OF SOME CONSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING THE 
VERBS ESSERE AND AVERE. 



1. Maravigliosa cosa e ad What I am g"oing- to say is 

udire quello che to dehbo wonderful to hear. 

dire. B. 

2. Sard, in parte, cosa piace- It will be, in some measure, 

vole ad ascoltare. B. agreeable to hear. 

3. Non e cosa da hiasimare. It is not a thing- to he blamed. 

B. 

4. (Tempo) da ritornare e It is time to return from 

Id onde ci dipartimmo. whence we started. 

B. 

5. Era un' acqua lavorata It was a water prepared to 

ddi far dormire, B. induce sleep. 

When, in English, judgment is passed upon a thing 
through the medium of the verb to he, as in the above 
sentences, if the subject of the proposition, represent- 
ing such thing, be followed by an adjective and a verb 
in the infinitive, as in the two first examples, the pre- 
position to, preceding the infinitive, is translated in 
Italian by a; but if the subject of the proposition be, 
as in the third and fourth examples, followed immedi- 
ately, and without an adjective, either by a verb in the 
infinitive, or by the auxiliary to he, and a participle, 
both the preposition to, preceding the infinitive, and 
the verb to he, preceding the participle, are supplied 
in Italian by da, and the participle is put in the infi- 
nitive. In the former case, the infinitive serves to 
specify with regard to what the subject is qualified, 
and is therefore preceded by the preposition a, the 



158 

office of which is to put something in regard ; in the 
latter, the preposition da, and the infinitive, are equi- 
valent to an adjective, or a qualification ; and the 
preposition da is applied to a pronoun understood 
referring to the subject, as appears in the following 
analysis: Non e cosa da (cm si meinti il) hiasimare; 
e tempo da (cut si richiede il) ritornare Id onde ci 
dipartimmo. 

In the fifth example, contrary to what is mentioned 
above, though the noun acqua be followed by an ad- 
jective, yet the infinitive is preceded by the prepo- 
sition da. The reason is, that the adjective lavorata 
does not determine that noun sufficiently; and both 
the substantive and the adjective, in that case, only 
imply one thing to be determined. 

11. 

1. Pensossi costui avere da Kim he imagined to have 

poterlo servire. B. wherewith to serve him. 

2. Che partito ha da essere What shall I resolve ? 

il mio? G. 

3. lo non gli ho a dire altro? Am I to tell him any thing 

F. else? 

4. II modo che voi avrete a The means you are to use are 

tenerjia questo. B. as follow. 

There is a remarkable difference between the expres- 
sions, avere da, and avere a; although Italian writers 
sometimes employ them indiscriminately, as appears 
from the second example, which should be expressed, 
che partito ha a essere. Avere da servire implies, to have 
wherewith to serve ; avere a servire signifies, to have 
to serve, or to be obliged to serve. But in order to 
give a reason for the application of those prepositions, 
I would observe, that, in the former instance, we apply 
the preposition da to a pronoun understood, referring 



159 

to the object of the verb to have, as is demonstrated in 
the following analysis of the first example : Egli si 
pensd costui avere (cosa) da (cui procedesse il) poterlo 
servire; so that the preposition da, in this case, is 
affixed to the thing whence proceeds the power of 
serving. In the latter instance, avere a is equivalent 
to dovere; and we apply the preposition a to the fol- 
lowing verb, as the duty to which what we have in- 
duces us. The English render the second form either 
by shall, or must, as in the second example, or by the 
expression to he to, as in the third and fourth ex- 
amples. The preposition da is employed in the second 
example instead of a, to avoid the contact of the 
two a's. Sometimes the English make use of the same 
idiom ; for instance, " What have I to do w ith you ? 
Che ho io afar con voi ? 

III. 

1. Siete per condannarlo. B. You are going to condemn 

him. 

2. Jo sono per non esser piu, I am going to die. 

B. 

3. Gli smemorati siete voi. B. It is you that are void of un- 

derstanding. 

4. Tu ne vestisti queste mi- It is you that have clothed us 

sere carni. with this mortal flesh. 

The two former examples are the best modes of 
translating those sentences in which the verb to go is 
used figuratively, to indicate the passage from a state 
of inactivity to one of activity, or from one action to 
another, as if we were making advances towards it. 
The Italian conveys this idea by the preposition per, 
the character of which is to trace the very point of 
passage either from one place, or from one action 
to another ; so that they express the same meaning. 



169 

The participle going, placed in that instance be- 
tween the verb to be and an infinitive, is not translated 
in Italian, and the preposition to, is supplied by per. 
If this participle, or any other employed in the sense 
above mentioned, is not followed by an infinitive, aSy 
*' I am going out ; He is setting out," the verb ought 
to be put in the infinitive, and be preceded by the 
preposition per; as, Jo sono per uscire; Egli ^ per 
partire. We likewise employ the verb stare, saying, 
lo sto per uscire; Egli sta per partire ; and also, Ora 
esco; Orauscird; Egli parte; Tosto partird, &c. 

According to the expression of the third and fourth 
examples, the English say, "Is it thou? Is it you? 
It is I; It is we;" and the Italians, Sei tu? Siete voi? 
Sono io; Siamo noi. From those examples we remark 
also, that we do not need to supply the words if 
is , . , that, to strengthen the expression ; it would be 
a fault in our language ; the emphasis alone thrown 
upon the personal noun, suifices to give the same 
force to the Italian which those words afi'ord to the 
English. 

IV. 

1. Niuna persona ci e altro No one is here but us. 

die noi. B. 

2. Vi sono ahitanse dapotere Are there any habitations to 

albergare ? B. take shelter in ? 

3. Nel reame di Francia, fu There lived in the kingdom 

un gentile uomo chia- of France, a gentleman 

mato Isnardo conte di named Isnardo count Ros- 

Rossiglione. B. sillon. 

4. Non c' e mestier lusinga. You need not flatter me. 

D. 

5. Ce n^ ^ una che ^ molto There is one which is very 

corta. B. short. 

6. Egli e qua un malvagio There is a wicked man. 

uomo. B. 

7. Chi ^ m B. Who is there? 



161 

In the expressions in which the verb to he is pre- 
ceded or followed by the adverb here, or there, we 
ought to remark — 1. That their equivalents, ci and vi, 
must always, as in the two first examples, be placed 
immediately before the verb, unless it be in the impe- 
rative, infinitive, or the participles. — 2. That they are 
generally omitted when the place to which they refer 
is expressed, as in the third example : the kingdom of 
France. — 3. That the i, both of ci and vi, may be taken 
off", before the vowels e and i, and the negative must 
be placed before these adverbs, as in the fourth. — 
4, That ci and vi change into ce and ve, when followed 
by the pronoun ne, which is to be supplied in Italian, 
when the expressions, there is, there are, &c. are fol- 
lowed either by a number, or another word expressing 
quantity, and referring to something already men- 
tioned. -^5. That qui, or qucL, here, quivi, or Id, there, 
ought to be used, when the emphasis falls upon the 
adverb, as in the sixth and seventh examples. 

V. 

1. Gid e gran tempo, fa in It is now long, since there 

Roma un gentile uomo, lived at Rome a gentle- 

Sec. B. man, &c. 

2. ^0710 parecchi giorni che I have not been there for 

non vi sono stato. F. several days. 

3. Non sono ancora molti It is not many years since. 

anni passati. B. 

4. Egli e oramai tre anni We have followed in this 

che noi siam dietro a track these three years. 

questa tresca. F. 

5. In Roma fu una giovane, At Rome there lived, a little 

poco tempo fa, chiamata time ago, a girl called 

Agnolella. B. Agnoleila. 

The following is the direct construction and analysis 
of the above idiomatical sentences : 1st example, Gran 



162 

tempo e gia (passato da che), &c. ; literally, a long 
time has now passed since, &c. ; — 2nd, Parecchi giorni 
sono (passati da) che; several days are passed since, 
&c. ; — 3rd, Molti anni non sono ancora passati; — 
4th, Egli (lo spazio di) tre anni, ^ oramai (passato da) 
che, &c. ; — 5th, (II tempo passato da che) una giovane 
fu in Roma (fino ad or a) fa poco tempo. We learn, 
therefore, that, in such expressions, — 1. The participle 
passato, and the preposition da, which designates the 
epoch from which the period mentioned commences, 
are understood ; the participle passato, however, may 
be expressed, as in the third example ; — 2. The verb 
essere ought to agree in number with the space of 
time indicated ; though Firenzuola seems to overlook 
this rule in the fourth example, in which he puts the 
verb in the singular, because he considers the extent 
of three years as one period ; — 3. The particle che, 
supplies the place of since, and may sometimes be un- 
derstood, as in the first example. Thus, whatever the 
form by which these idioms are expressed in English, 
the construction of the Italian must always be, ^ un 
mese, ^ un anno, ^ un secolo, che; sono due mesi, sono 
due anni, sono due secoli, che, &c. 



EXERCISE XV. 

1. In the city of Capsa, in Barbary, there formerly resided 
— — — — Barheria * gid essere 

a very rich man, who had a young-, beautiful, and 

— * __ — Jiglioletta hello — 

amiable daughter. 
gentilesco 

2. It is not yet three days since the words and the 
* — ancora — — * — (31 ^4) 

tune were composed. 
suono (5) * (1) fare (2) 



163 

3. Now do you judg-e whether this is to be 

— (2) vedere (I) se — — ccsa * 

endured. 
sofferii^e 

4. Sir Francis is g"oing^ in a few days to Milan. 
me^ser — — ^ in fra * di ^ — 

5. It is wonderful to consider, how difficult it is 
cosa(2) (3) (1) * pensare quanta sieno difficili 

to investigate the power of love. 

* investigare — forze — — 

6. Alas I these fourteen years I have been 
ahi lasso me che * — — andare 

wandering- like a beggar through the world. 
tapinare — — — 

7. Had I thought it would have been granted 
se io avessi credere che dovesse{3) (4) (5) concedere(^\) 

(to me), I should long since have requested it. 
(2) * lungo tempo * — domandare — 

8. It is not g'reat palaces, extensive possessions, purple 

* — — palas^so ampio — non — 

or gold, that create respect for man, but the mind 
non — * fare onorare (2) (1) — — animo 

, resplendent with virtue. 
splendido(S) (1) (2) 

9. Make a neat dish of it, the best and most delicious 

— — vivandetta * — * — — dilettevole 

to eat that thou canst. 
* — — — sapere 

10. Madam, as there is no one else, this good woman, 
madonna poiche * — * — — donna 

the labourer 's wife, will keep you company. 
questo — * moglie tenere — — 

11. There lived, ^not long since, at Florence, 



)rence,\ 

- )o 



ess ere (2) \ — *moltianni * * — /(O 

a handsome young lady, named Helen. 
— hello — nominare — 

12. Things badly done, are far more easily blamed 

— malfatto — troppo — agevole* riprendere 
than mended. 

— * emendare 

y2 



164 

13. It was scarce four hours since Cymon had 
* non ancora — — compiute poi die — — 

parted with the Rhodians. 
lasciare — 

14. I am about to leave this country for ever. 
* ritrarsi di{3) qui (4) del (I) tutto(^) 

15. For these eight years I have loved thee more than my 

own life. 
— 

16. It would be a long- story to relate. 

— — lungo * raccontare 

17. When the sun is setting, we will sup in the 

come — — sard* andar sotto — — per — 

fresh air. 
fresco 

18. It is not passion, but virtue, that has been the 

* — passione — — * si — — — 

efficient cause. 
movenle cagione 

19. When we have it, what have we else to do, 
trovata che avremo la — avremo — altro * — 

but to put it in our pocket? 
se non mettere * — * scarsella 

20. Looking if there was any way to come down, 
riguardare — *(^5^ fosse(6) (1) (2) (3)* scender(ji) 

and finding there was not, she renewed her 
— non veggendola — ricominciare * 

complaint. 
pianto 

21. He must complain of himself, and not of her. 



— SI avere rammaricare — 



* 



l! 



22. I think he is not to be blamed, who puts 
non mi pare che sia * riprendere * fare 

a jest upon a person who is seeking for it. 
beffa alcuna a colui * andare cercare — 



165 

23. I fear that I should have laboured a long* 
— duhiiare — — non avessi — gran 

time in vain, to find a theme for relation. 
pezza penato a trovar — — * ragionare 

24. I think that the second would be pleasant to 
reputare — — seconda dehha — piacevole * 

relate. 
ragionare 

25. They oug-ht rather to be called beasts than men. 

— essere piu tosto * — pecora — — 

26. You know what you are to do, if you value his 

sapere — ** — — t;'e cara — 

life. 

27. To-morrow, you are sensible, it will be fifteen days 
noi, come voi sapete, domani * — dl 

since we, to take some amusement for the 
per pigliare — diporto a 

preservation of our lives, came out of Florence. 
sostentamento — — vita tfsaVe (3) (1) (2) 

28. Your wisdom it is, rather than any foresight of ours, 

— senno * piil — il avvedimento * 

that has brought us hither. 
* — guidare (2) — (1) 



CHAP. XX. 

OF PRESENT PARTICIPLES. 



I. 

1. II prete, ridendo,disse ... B. The priest, laughing-, said . . . 

2. Liberia va cercando, ch' e He goes seeking- for liberty, 

si cara, D. which is so precious. 

3. La donna, udendo questo, The woman, hearing- this, 

alquanto sopra se stette. was in some suspense. 
B. 



166 

The present participle is employed—l. To express 
of two actions performed simultaneously, that which 
is secondary, as the act of laughing, in the first ex- 
ample ; — 2. To denote the continuation of an action ; 
and in that instance, therefore, the participle is always 
attended by the verb andare, as in the second exam- 
ple, and the action expressed by the participle, is the 
principal; — 3. To represent the cause which gives us 
an impulse to act in some manner, as in the third 
example. There is, so far, no difference between the 
English and the Italian use of the present participle. 

11. 

1. Tutto il rimanente di He spent the rest of that 

quella mattina consumo morning- in seeking after 

in cercargli. B. them. 

2. Egli mi credette spaven- He thought to frighten me, 

tare, col gittare non so by throwing I know not 

che nel posso» B. what into the well. 

3. Dite sicuramente, che, il Speak out boldly, for no one 

ver dicendo, non sipeccb ever sinned by telling the 

giammai. B. truth. 

When, to the principal verb of the sentence, another 
is added, to denote in what manner, or by what means 
we act, perform, or obtain any thing, as, for instance, 
in the first example, the verb seeking, declares in what 
manner the person spoken of, spent the morning; and, 
in the second, the verb throwing, indicates by what 
means a person intended to frighten another; then the 
verb, which in English is in the participle, must be 
put in the infinitive, in Italian. It is preceded by the 
preposition in, if we intend to denote manner, as in 
the first example; and by the preposition con, if we 
wish to indicate means, as in the second. The latter 
preposition supplies hy, before a participle. 

These prepositions are often attended with the 



167 

article, especially when the verb is followed by a 

determination, as, in the second example, the words, 
non so die nel pozzo, are to the verb gittare; but it is 
not strictly required. 

The third example show-s, that the Italian also 
sometimes employs the present participle, even in the 
two above-mentioned instances, but without a pre- 
position. 

III. 

1. Xoi siamo staii a pertcrAo We have been in danger of 

d* esser cacciati della being excluded from our 

nostra compagnia. B. compaDv. 

2. Senza dire alcuna cosa, Without uttering any thiog", 

aspcttava la morte. B. she waited for death. 

3. Bcpo molto a.\eT\o pregato After having exhorted him 

che piu a queste cose iicn to do so no more, he let 

attendesse. il licen.zid. him go about his business. 

4. To sono stato cagione di I have been the cause of your 

farvela i-drovare. F. finding it. 

5. Egli non sera ancora ar- He was not yet sensible of 

veduto, che egli avesse his having wasted his 

spese fuor d' ordine le riches. 

&'we ricchezze. B. 

The first example shows, that besides the prepo- 
sitions in and hy, cited in the preceding rule, whatever 
be the preposition placed in Eoglish before a par- 
ticiple present, that participle must, in Italian, be 
put in the infinitive. The words senza, without, dopo, 
after, govern likewise the infinitive in Italian, when, 
in English, the verb is in the participle present, as 
appears from the second and third examples. 

The use of the present participle after a possessive 
adjective, as in the fourth and fifth examples, is an 
idiom of the English language. Italians make use, in 
that case, either of the infinitive preceded by the pre- 
position di, or the subjunctive preceded by che; so 



168 

that we might say, in the fourth example, Che voi 
Vahhiate ritrovata; and in the fifth, D'avere spese. 

IV. 

1. Non sentendolo, ne veg*- As they neither heard nor 

g-endolo, ehhero per fer- saw him, they firmly be- 

Tifia opinione lui essere a lieved that he was re- 

Roma ritornato. B. turned to Rome. 

2. E in cosifalti pensieri, e As he was in this perplexity 

dolorosa molto stando, and distress, he heard many 

sentl per la chiesa andar persons walking and talk- 

genti, e pari a r molte per- ing in the church. 
sone. B. 

Generally, when the word as, at the beginning of a 
sentence, signifies because, or while, it is not translated 
in Italian, and the following verb is used in the par- 
ticiple present, as we see in the above examples, by 
the verbs sentendo, veggendo, and stando. The English, 
on the contrary, put a verb governed by the object of 
another, in the participle present^ as, in the second 
example, the verbs walking and talking are governed 
by the words matiy persons, representing the object 
of the verb heard; whilst Italians express it by the 
form of the infinitive ^ as both the participle present 
and the infinitive, denote continuation of action within 
a time undetermined, and are therefore equivalent, in 
this respect, to one another. 



EXERCISE XVI. 

1. The friar, hearing* this, was the most uneasy man in the 

— /rate udire'^ — — — — turbato — * — 
world. 

2. Some doing- one thing*, some another, the hour of 

* * -_ _ e * Valtra — ~ — 

supper arrived 
la cena sopravvenire 



169 

3. Many, in endeavouring- to g-et more bread than 

— — il cercare * — aver — — — 

they wanted, met a premature death. 
hisogno non era loro perire acerbo 

4. He took an extreme pleasure in causing- harm, 

avere oltre modo — — commettere* mali 

enmities, and scandal. 
e inimicizia — scandali 

5. Thinking he had seen enoug-h, he resolved to 
parere * gli avere assai veduto proporre — 

return to Paris. 
tornare — — 

6. He proposed to divert himself at his expence, 

— — voler prender diletto di* fatti suoi 

by playing- some joke upon him. 
— il fare * — b^fff^ gli 

7. Seeing- every man running-, they were astonished. 
vedere* (2) (3) correre*(^l) maravigliarsi * 

8. As he was walking- along-, he met with his 
* andare venirsi scontrato in — 

companions. 



9. Many persons are now abroad on the mountain, who, 
— gente e ora per — monte li quali 

seeing us, might guess what we are 

vedere * — si potere indovinare — — andassimo 

doing. 
fare * 

10. We have had a deal of trouble in making this. 
— — durare fatica — * — 

11. By blaming the faults of others, he thought he 

* il * — fallo * gli parve 

should make the way more open for his own. 
dovere — piit libera via a * 

12. Let us give him what he is looking for. 

— * — andare cercare * 

z 



170 

13. He had applied his whole mind in looking* after 

— porre * * sollecitudine — guardar* 

this man. 

* 

14. In behaving- courteously, your nobleness has 
(3) usar*(^4t) cortesia{5) (I) (2) essere 

proved itself greater than that of any one else. 
mostrare * maggiore — in alcuno altro 

15. My brothers, be welcome: What are you looking* 
— — voi — i ben venuti — andare — cercare* 

for at this time ? 
ora 

16. Having- taken up a very larg-e stone that 

fresa — grande * pietra — 

lay by the well side, and screaming-, she let it 
appie' del po^^o era gridare* lasciare * 

fall into the well, 
cadere — — — 

17. Knowing- it was his turn to speak, he began 
conoscere'^ che a lui toccava * dover dire cominciare 

in the following manner. 
— cotal guisa 

18. Imag-ining- he had heard a noise of feet in the 

parere * — — — alcuno stropiccio — — per — 

dormitory, he put his eye to a little hole. 
— porre * — piccolo pertugio 

19. And you. Sir, what prayer are you accustomed 



to say, when you are travelling- ? 
— dir camminare* 

20. Though men, by their desires, sin in many 

come che — desiderando(p) pecchino(4) (1) vario(2y 

ways, you, gracious ladies, sin extremely in 
maniera(3) — — donna (2) sommamente(\) — 

one, namely, in desiring- to be beautiful. 
— cioe — il * — — hello 



171 

21. The young- lady weeping-, replied, that she had 

— — ■ piangere * rispondere — — 

lost his company in the wood. 

smarrita(6) (1) (2) (3) (4) selva(5) 

22. When Theodore heard this, his joy was 

— * _ (3) leti^ia(4) (2) 

so great, that he thought he leapt from 
tanto(l) — §"^^(3) parve(^4) saltare (5) ^'(0 

hell into paradise. 
(2) _ _ 

23. She rose grumbling, and going to the press, 

— (2) hrontolare*(y) — andatasene — — soppidiano 

drew out the cloak, and gave it to the clerk. 
trarre ne — taharro — — — cherico 

24. As they were walking one day in a pleasant grove 

* (2) andareiV) — — per — bello (2) bosco(^l} 

well planted with trees, they left their company, 
e foito * alhero — — — 

25. In one place they saw rabbits issuing forth; from 
d' — parte — — coniglio (2) uscir (1) * — 

another quarter they saw hares running ; here were 
— parte (2) *(1) dove 
goats lying down; and there were 

cavriuolo (2) giacer (1) * ^- in alcuna 

deer grazing. 

cerbiatto andm' pascendo 

26. As you confess so often, I shall have but little trouble 
poi (3) (1) (2) — — — fatica 

either in hearing or asking. 
* di udire * — domandare * 

27. You have so much the more deserved, as you had 

more liberty of doing otherwise. 

— d'arbitrio — * — 

28. Finding that it might be done without giving any 
vedere* — questo potere * — — * — 

disturbance to the priest, he accommodated himself 
noia — — — acconciare — 

there. 



z2 



172 

29. He beheld a pretty young- woman holding- a candle, 

vedere — bello — ten^ere * — lume 

and three men coming- towards her. 
- (4) (5) *(3) (1) (2) 

30. I do not purpose contending- with you; for you 
— — intendere * piatire * — — che — 

would overcome me. 
vincere — 



CHAP. XXI. 

OF PAST PARTICIPLES. 



1. Troppi denari avete speso You have expended too much 

in dolcitudine. B. money upon your pleasure. 

2. Che cosa e questa che voi What is that which you have 

mi avete fatto mangiare'i made me eat? 

B. 

3. lo ho teste ricevute letter e I have just received letters 

da Messina. B. from Messina. 

4. lo aveva quella pietra I had found that stone . . . 

trovata ... B. 

5. Ogni gente ha gid desi- Every one has already dined, 

nato. B. 

The participle past is employed, with the verbs 
essere and avere, to denote an action completed, in 
order to supply many tenses which the verb alone can- 
not express. From the above examples it appears, 
that, when attended with the verb avere, the participle 
sometimes agrees with the object of the proposition^ 
and sometimes it does not, wherever the object be 
placed with regard to the participle. Biagioli says, 
that if we intend to indicate the action of the verb 
rather than to qualify the object, as in the first and 



173 

second examples, the participle must not change its 
termination ; but if we intend to qualify the object 
of the verb avere, rather than to indicate the action, 
as in the third and fourth examples, the termination of 
the participle must agree with the object, both in gen- 
der and number. I certainly must assent to the fore- 
going remarks; but I do not find that authors have 
followed the rule. I would say equally, Troppi denari 
avete spesi; die cosa mi avete fatta; io ho ricevuto let- 
tere ; and even Aveva quella pietra trovato, changing 
the inflection of the voice upon quella pietra; yet the 
only case in which the participle should agree with the 
noun, for the sake of harmony, ought to be when the 
participle is placed immediately after the noun, as in 
this last instance. When the participle, conjugated 
with avere, has no object, as in the fifth example, its 
termination is always o. 

II. 

1. Io son qui venuta per ser- I am come here to serve God. 

vire a Dio. B. 

2. Ultimamente , da amor Incited at length by her pas- 

sospinta, cost comincib a sion, she thus declared her 

dire. B. mind. 

3. Ogni cosa e fatto. F. Every thing is done. 

4. Essi non potevan sapere They could not know who 

chi fossero stati coloro they were that had stolen 

che rapita Vavevano. B. her away. 

The termination of the participle, when it is attended 
with the verb essere, ought always to agree with the 
subject of the sentence. 

The participle sospinta, in the second example, 
agrees with the subject, ella, understood, because the 
auxiliary, which is also understood, is essendo ; so 
that, when it is omitted in both languages, we must 



174 



consider which of the auxiliaries is omitted in Italian, 
to know whether the participle past ought to agree with 
the subject or not. Fatto, in the third example, has 
a masculine termination, because ogni cosa indicates a 
whole, undeterminate ; but we say as well, Ogni cosa 
^ fatta. 

The fourth example offers a case with the participle 
rapita; in which, when governed by avere, it must ne- 
cessarily take the termination of the feminine, to clear 
the dubious sense of the shortened pronoun ; and 
although the person be known by a preceding dis- 
course, the ear would not be satisfied, if that parti- 
ciple ended in o, 

III. 

How can this have happened ? 



1. Come pud questo essere in- 

tervenuto ? B. 

2. Vivuto son come peccatore. 

B. 

3. Non mi sono potuto levar 

se non oggi. B. 

4. Questi non sono voluti ri- 

cevere, B. 

5. // Saladino conohhe costui 

essere saputo uscir del 
laccio. B. 



I have lived as a sinner. 

I could only get up to-day. 

These are not admitted. 

Saladin perceived that he 
escaped the net. 



There are many verbs which are conjugated in Eng- 
lish with the verb to have, and in Italian with the verb 
essere, as the following : 

cadere, to fall. partire, to depart, sedere, to sit down. 

entrare, enter. piacere, please, satire, ascend. 

montare, mount, piovere, rain. venire, come. 

parere, appear, rimanere, remain, vivere, live. 



Almost all those verbs which do not suffer an object 
undei* their dependence, either because their effect is 



175 

confined within the agent, or because they denote state 
of being, as the above, and those which are attended 
in Italian with the pronoun si, must be conjugated 
with essere. 

The third, fourth, and fifth examples, are given, to 
show that when the participles voluto, potuto, saputo, 
and dovuto, are followed by one of the above-mentioned 
verbs conjugated with essere, the auxiliary of those 
participles also ought then to be essere. Thus, although 
we say, Non ho pofuto fare, non hanno voluto dire, 
avere saputo cogliere, on account of the verbs fare, 
dire, and cogliere, being conjugated with avere; we 
must say, Non mi sono potuto levare, non sono voluti 
venire, essere saputo uscire, because levarsi, venire, and 
uscire, require the auxiliary essere. The reason is, 
that when those participles are followed by another 
verb in the infinitive, they are also employed as auxi- 
liaries } and therefore, in this case, they have no con- 
nection with essere and avere. Many Italians, overlook- 
ing this distinction, would employ avere in the three 
mentioned examples, thus — non ho potuto levarmi, non 
hanno voluto venire, avere saputo uscire — ^for no other 
reason, than because the verbs conjugated with avere, 
being much greater in number than those which are 
conjugated with essere, the ear is more accustomed to 
hear those participles attended with the former than 
with the latter ; and one may therefore easily be mis- 
taken: it is, besides, a peculiar mode of the Tuscans. 

IV. 

1. Postogli la mano in sul Having laid my hand upon 

petto, lui non dormente his breast, I found him 

trovai. B. awake. 

2. Filostrato levatosi, tutta Philostratus having risen, 

la brigatafece levare. B. caused the whole com- 

pany to arise. 



176 

The participle present of the verbs essere and avere, 
is generally understood before the participle past of 
the verb which they conjugate. In the first, avendo, 
and in the second, essendo, is omitted. The pronoun 
in such instance, if there be any, ought to be placed, 
as in the first example, after the participle past, and 
united to it in a single word. 

V, 

1. Avendo alcun danaro di Having some money of his 

suo,eVamicosuodiSeTidO' own, and his friend lendr- 

gliene alquanti prestati, ing hirn some, he returned 

senetornoinFrancia.B. to France. 

2. Quivi, gittate in terra There, laying their arms 

I'armi, nelle sue mani si down, they offered them- 

rimisero. B. selves to his mercy. 

It is to be observed, that the English make use 
sometimes of the participle present, even in indicating 
an action passed ; as, in the above examples, with the 
actions of lending and laying down, which not being 
performed simultaneously with those of returning and 
offering, could be expressed by having lent and having 
laid down. In similar instances, Italians always use 
the participle past, either with its auxiliary, as in the. 
first example, or without it, as in the second ; let the 
student therefore consider, in translating the participle 
present, whether the secondary action be performed 
at the same moment as the principal, or if it be already 
completed. In the former instance, he must employ 
the present, in Italian ; in the latter case, the past. 



177 



EXERCISE XVII. 



1. Neiphile 's novel had pleased so much, that the 

Neijile(5)* (4) * (2) (3)* * (1) (6) (11) 

ladies could not keep from 

donna (12) pot er si (10) Tie (7) tenei^e(l3) di (S) 



/laug-hing" and talking- about it.\ 
\ — ne ragionar di * / (9) 



2. Nig-ht being- come, he got out softly into 

(2) * "^(1) uscirsi (5) chetamente (I) (2) 
. the room. 

(3) camera (4) 

3. It has pleased me very much. 
ella * — — molto 

4. Taking- his mantle, he went away without saying 
riprendere * — — andarsene * — — 

any thing. 



5. I have granted her the permission. 
— concedere * — licen^a 

6. Being arrived at Florence, he went to a little 

* giungere * — andarsene (etto) 

inn near his lady 's house. 

albergo vicino a — donna * — 

7. / Half the night\ being already passed, he 
\lametadi — — ^(3) (1) g^*«(2) andare* 

had not yet been able to get asleep. 

* — ancor — ' addormentarsi 

8. This house is situated in a place not much frequented 

by men. 

9. Having placed the tables by the side of the fountain, 

* metier e'^ — — d'intorno a — fonie 

they supped /there with very great pleasure. \ 
(2) \quivi — * grande diletto /(I) 

A a 



178 

10. My kindness towards you had not deserved the outrag-e 
— benignitd — — — — meritare * — — 

you have offered, and the shame which you have 
— — vergogna — — 

broug-ht upon me. 
fare * — , 

11. No instruction could t as yet enter his mind. 
— dottrina potere* — in * cuore 

12. The day having- arrived, he related what he 
(2) giorno(S) * venire (\) raccontare — 

had heard the preceding* night. 

— udire* — passato — 

13. We have perceived that she adopts the same 

— * accorgersi* — — tenere (3) cotal(4y 

conduct every day. 
maniera(Ji) (1) c?i(2) 

14. If I had shown any regard to dreams, I should 
* voluto andar dietro — sogno — 

not have come hither. 

— * — ci 

15. Poverty opened their eyes, which wealth had 

(4) aprire (1) *(2) (3) — ricchesza — 

kept shut. 
tenere * chiuso 

16. After these fellows had opened the lid and 
poiche * — * (3) (1) area (2) — 

propped it, they began to dispute who should 
puntellare* cadere in quistione — dovesse 

go in. 
entrare vi 

17. The lady having- mounted up into the tower, and 

— donna * montare* in su — — — 

turned to the north, began to repeat 

rivolgere (3) (1) tramontana (2) — — dire 

the words J given her by the scholar. 

— — * scolare 

+ Remark, that could stands here instead of the compound tense, had 
been able, which must be expressed in Italian. 
X The words here understood, are, which had been. See Rule II. 



179 

18. Seeing- that she by whom she hoped to be succoured, 

— — * — * — — — aiutare * 

had her thig-h broken, she resumed her complaint. 

— * coscia rotto ricominciare — pianto 

19. You have done wrong* ; you have behaved very 

(2) (3) male (I) * (5) portarsi(G) 

badly. 
male (4) 

20. The day lig-ht having- appeared, and the 
(2) giorno (3) chiaro(4) * venire (l) — — 

storm being- something- abated, the lady^ who was 
tempesta * alquanto acchetare* — — — — 

almost dead, lifted up her head. 

— — alsare * testa 

21. The window at which the prince now stood, 
quello — — — (3) (4) allora{y) essere(2') 

looked upon some houses overthrown by the 
guardare sopra certo — fare * cadere — — 

impetuosity of the waves. 
impeto mare 

22. Wrapping- her head in a mantle, she laid herself 
<ivviluppare* * testa — — — mettere * 

down at the bottom of the boat. 
a giacere * — — — 

23. The virtues having- departed from below, 

— — * dipartirsi^ (3) di (\) quaggiu(2) 

have abandoned /miserable mortals to the dreg-s of 

— * (2) \ misero vivente in — feccia — 

vice\ 
visj/(^l) 

24. The good man, who was already old, and had lived 

— — — — — gid — — * *(2) 

irreg-ularly, g-rew every day 

disordinatamente (^l) andare di giorno in giorno 

worse aiyi worse. 
di male in peggio 

25. A labourer of this lady had lost /that day 
— — donna — smarrire * (2) \ — di 

two of his sheep. \ 

— * pecora/(l) 

Aa2 



180 

26. Nicostratus had two youths g-iven him by their 
Nicostrato — — fanciullo * — (2) 
fathers, in order that they might learn good 

( 1 ) accio — apparare alcun (4) 

breeding at bis house. 
costume (5) (1) (3) (2) 

27. Moved partly by his reasons, and partly terrified 
indurre^^ in parte — ^ — ragione — — spaventare * 

by his last words, they thought it best to admit 
— — deliherare essere — — avere 

him as a friend. 

— per — — 

28. With the utmost lamentations the two bodies were 

— grandissimo pianto (2) (3) corpo(ji) (I) 

taken up, and placed together in the same 
ricogliere * — porre * — — uno medeaimo 

grave. 
.sepjoltura 



CHAP. XXII. 

OF PREPOSITIONS. 

Though prepositions have only one and the same 
character Id every language, as, 

Vengo da Roma, 

Je viens de Rome, 

I come from Rome, 
wherein the prepositions da, de, and from, mark the 
point whence one has proceeded, their application, 
however, varies in diflferent languages, and very often 
in the figurative sense f, in w^hich they are mostly 
employed. For example, 

-f *' The first words of men, like their first ideas, had an immediate 
reference to sensible objects ; and in after days, when th*y began to discern 
with their intellect, they took those words which they found already made, 
and transferred them by metaphor to intellectual conceptions." — Harris's 
Hermes. 

It is, therefore, to show the relation existing between our ideas and 
sensible objects, that I have used, here and there, in the following reasoning 
respecting prepositions, metaphorical words and expressions. 



181 

The Italians say, Questa t or a da cib. 

The Eng-lish, It is a Jit time for it. 

T.he French, C est une heure propre a cela. 

These are three different prepositions, yet the 
expressions are equivalent; every one attributes a 
property to the time, and establishes a relation be- 
tween the time and the abstract object which con- 
stitutes that property, although each by a different 
circumstance. The reason is, that if we mention one 
of two or more circumstances with which an incident 
is attended, the others are supposed ; and as nations 
acquire peculiar ideas, according to the view under 
which objects occur to their imaginations, peculiar 
prepositions must of course designate these different 
ideas. The entire sense implied in the above Italian 
expression, is, Questa ^ ora da (la quale viene la con- 
venienza di far) do; wherein we perceive that the 
Italians employ the preposition da, because they 
understand the attributive expressed in English and 
French by the words jit and propre, and consider the 
time as the point from which the property proceeds. 
The idea of the English is to denote motive ; namely, 
to say on what account they confer this property to 
the time; and they therefore designate the object by the 
preposition /or, the word proper to indicate that idea. 
The French denote with what regard they attribute 
that property to the time; and for this reason desig- 
nate the object which they put in regard, by the pre- 
position a. Now, the circumstances mentioned by 
the English and the French, are supposed in the Italian 
expression;' for they might, although not so properly 
and idiomatically, be literally expressed in Italian 
also ; questa ^ ora conveniente per cib, according to the 
English, and questa ^ ora conveniente a do, according 
to the French. 



182 

For the same reason Boccaccio says, Loro increbbe 
di vedergli forre i capponi a coloro che tolto gli avevano 
il porco; They were displeased to see him robbed of 
the fowls, by those who had stolen the hog from him. 
He applies the preposition a to the word colorOy as 
the term towards which the minds of the persons 
spoken of tend, agreeably to the expression of the 
verb vedere; but had he applied to the same word the 
preposition da, as is usual in that instance, he would 
have indicated whence the action expressed by the 
verb togliere proceeds ; which idea is supposed in the 
former expression. A similar instance is found in 
Dante, Inferno, Canto VIII. Vidi quello straziofar di 
costid alle fangose genti . . .; I saw such ill usage 
offered to him by the filthy people . . . The former 
expression implies, to look at one performing some- 
thing; the latter, to see something performed by one. 

Again, Dante says, Fu' io sol, cold dove soffertofu 
per ciascun di torre via Fiorenza, colui che la difesi a 
viso aperto; There, where every one agreed in the 
resolution of destroying Florence, it was I alone who 
openly opposed it. He applies the preposition per to 
the word ciascun, to indicate through which individual 
the act expressed by the verb sofferire passes ; but, 
had he applied to that word the preposition da, as is 
usual in familiar discourse, he would have designated 
from which individual that act proceeds ; which idea 
is supposed in the former; for, if something passes 
through one point, it proceeds also thence. 

It is therefore impossible to give rules for the appli- 
cation of prepositions, because it is entirely dependent 
upon the idea which we intend to denote; but we shall 
— 1. Establish the true and only character of each pre- 
position ;--2. As the word which justifies the applica- 
tion of the preposition is often understood, we shajl 



183 

show how it may be supplied ; — 3. When a preposition 
seems to perform a different office from that to which 
it was appointed, we shall prove, by affording the 
ideas implied in our idioms, that prepositions never 
alter their character;— 4. Yie shall give the definition 
and analysis of the elliptical sentences. This alone can 
enable us to make a proper application of prepositions. 



THE PREPOSITION DL 



I. 



1. lo fui (abitante) di Sar- 

digna. D. 

2. (in sul conto) Di lui dice 

ogni uom male. B. 

3. Forse n' eran (alcune 

donne) di quelle che per 
pietd sospiravano. B. 

4. Era ilfigliuolo (nelV eta) 

di forse nove anni. B. 



I was from Sardinia, 

Every body speaks ill of him. 

Perhaps there were some 
who sig-hed out of pity. 

The son was about nine years 
of age. 



The character of the preposition di, is to designate 
one or more words which qualify another. The qua- 
lified word must always be a noun ; but, as it is some- 
times not expressed, the analysis of the above exam- 
ples shows that it is implied in such instances. 



II. 



1. lo vi prometto di pregar 

per voi. B. 

2. lo mi vergogno di dij^lo. B. 

3. Dilihero di piu non voter 

dimorare in Inghilterra. 
B. 

4. Prestamente rispose di sh 

B. 

5. La chiesa ^ piena di gente. 

B. 



I promise to intercede for you. 

I am ashamed to say it. 

He resolved to stay no longer 
in England. 

He answered directly in the 
affirmative. 

The church is full of people. 



184 

6. Ogni cosa di neve era co- Every thing* was covered m//t 

perta. B. snow. 

7. Non era uso d'andare a He was not used to travel on 

pie'. B. foot. 

8. Desideroso di poterla ve- As he was desirous of seeing" 

dere. B. her. 

The expressions, io mi vergogno di dirlo; io son 
desideroso di vederla ; and io lio vergogna di dirlo, io ho 
desiderio di vederla, are equivalent. Therefore, as the 
preposition di, in concurrence with one or several 
words, can only qualify a noun, and not either an 
adjective or a verb, when we use the former expres- 
sions, we intend to qualify the substantive implied 
in the verb and adjective themselves. Thus, the qua- 
lified words in the first four examjjles are, promessa, 
promise; vergogna, shame; deliherazione, resolution; 
risposta, answer, implied in the verbs : and in the 
latter four, the substantives are, piena, fulness; co- 
perta, covering; uso, use; desiderio, desire, implied in 
the adjectives preceding the prepositions. 

According to the sixth example, the preposition 
with, preceded by an adjective or a participle, is often 
supplied in Italian by di: the reason of the difference 
is, that the English denote the means by which the act 
expressed by the adjective is performed ; whilst the 
Italians, supposing this idea, intend to express qua- 
lity of means. 

We may therefore consider this almost as a general 
rule, that both the preposition to, preceded by an 
adjective or a verb, and followed by a qualifying 
infinitive, and the preposition with, preceded by an 
adjective, are supplied in Italian by di. 



185 



III. 



I, Parevano la pill dolce CQsa They seemed the prettiest 
del mondo. B. thino-s in the world. 



» 



2. Aveva i piu belli deWa. con- He had the most beautiful in 

trada. B. the country. 

3. La giovane e figliuola di The young lady is daughter 

Bolgaro. B. to Bolgaro. 

4. Sifece in segreto chia7nar He went privately for the 

la balia, e cautamente la nurse, and questioned her 

esaminb di questo fatto. about the thing-. 

D. 

To say that one thing is a part of another, implies 
also, that the former exists in the latter. In the first 
and second examples, therefore, the Italians and the 
English signify the same thing, although by means of 
a difi*erent preposition. Likewise, a thing which is 
the property of a person, belongs to him ; wherefore, 
in the third example, Italians apply the sign of qua- 
lification to the word daughter, whilst the English 
engross the idea of attribution or tendency. So it 
happens in all similar expressions, as, '* To whom 
does this house belong? — to my brother." Di chi ^ 
questa casa? — di miofratello. 

In the fourth example, the words, intorno alia ma- 
teria, are understood ; and we may state that, gene- 
rally, the word about, when preceded by one of the 
verbs ragionare, dire, pensare, esaminare, considerare, 
and the like, is supplied in Italian by the preposi- 
tion di. 

THE PREPOSITION A. 

I. 

1. Noi siam sempre apparec- We are always ready for it. 

chiati a cid. B. 

2. lo son presto a confessarvi I am ready to confess the 

il vera, B. truth to you. 

Bb 



186 

3. lo mi vivo (in maniera I live in the old-fashioned 

simile) all' antica (ma- way. 

niera). B. 

4. Non (in guisa conforme) Not as a father, but like a 

a guisa di padre, ma di poor man. 

povero uomo. B. 

5. Che credi tu che egli possa What do you think he can 

fare (contro) a' prieghi, do ag-ainst entreaties, flat- 

alle lusinghe, a' doni. tery, and g-ifts ? 

6. Racconcib il farsetto (in She adjusted the doublet to 

modo confacente) a suo her body. 

dosso, B. 

7. /Z soldano comandb che The sultan ordered him to be 

fosse (in luogo espostoj tied to a stake in the sun. 
al sole legato ad un palo. 
B. 

The preposition a, points out the object to which 
motion tends ; and, in the figurative sense, it designs 
the point of tendency of our difi'erent ideas ; which 
tendency is always indicated by an adjective or a 
verb, whether expressed or understood. The adjec- 
tives, for instance, presto and apparecchiato, ready, 
denote tendency of the mind towards that which is to 
be performed ; the supplied words, simi7e and conforme, 
denote tendency ; because, when we compare two 
objects, our view tends towards that which we appoint 
as the model. The words, acconcio, confacente, fit ; 
appartenente, belonging, design a tendency to the per- 
son or thing to whom we assign that peculiarity, &c. 
But these words are very often omitted, as appears 
from the above examples. Whenever such an adjective 
precedes a verb in the infinitive, the preposition to, is 
supplied by a; as we see from the second example. 
The third example shows that the word maniera, 
fashion, way, or manner, is usu^illy omitted in similar 
expressions. 



187 



II. 



1. Tutti pareva che a questo All seemed to agree in this. 

s' accordassero. B. 

2. Emmi convenuto mangiare 1 was forced to eat in the 

al buio. B. dark. 

3. Comincib a ripararsi alia He began to repair to her 

casa di lei. B. house. 

4. Comandd a uno de' suoi He ordered one of his ser- 

famigliari. ... B. vants . . . 

5. Ricordati di dire a iuo Remember to tell thy father 

padre che ... B. that . . . 

6. Lofece pigliare a tre suoi He had him seized by three 

servitori. B. of his servants. 

In the first example, Italians employ the preposi- 
tion a, to denote tendency of all parties towards 
one place; the English use in, to denote those parties 
as already entered into that place. In the second, 
they make use of the preposition a, because they 
wish to express the idea of being exposed, which 
indicates tendency; whilst the English, by the prepo- 
sition in, denote the idea of station; and hence the 
dilfferent application of the preposition. 

The preposition a, also marks the point of tendency, 
or direction of the action expressed by the verb. In 
the third example, the act of commencing is directed 
to the action of repairing^ and the action of repairing 
tends to the house. In the fourth, the preposition de- 
signates the person to whom the command is addressed ; 
and from that example, and the fifth, we find that the 
preposition cannot be omitted, as in English, before 
the person to whom the action of the verb is directed; 
unless represented by one of the personal nouns or 
pronouns, tni, ti, cij vi, si, gli, le, &c. 

In the following sentence, L'ahate pianamente la do- 
mando della promessa; The abbot put her softly in 

Bb2 



186 

mind of her promise, — it would seem that the prepo- 
sition a is understood after the verb domandd, which 
is not the case. In this case, la represents the object, 
and not the point of tendency; because, in Italian, 
we may say equally well, domandare uno di una cosa, 
as domandare una cosa ad uno. 

In familiar discourse we should say, Lofece pigliare 
da tre suoi servitori, rather than Lo fece pigliare a tre 
suoi servitori, as in the sixth example. In the former, 
we denote the persons from whom the action of seizing 
proceeds; in the latter, we indicate the persons to 
whom the order is addressed. 

III. 

1. Che avreste voi detto, se What w^ould you have said, 
m' aveste veduto a Bo- if you had seen me at Bo- 

logna ? B. log-na ? 

^. Si come ad Arli, ove 'I Ro- As at Arli, where the Rhone 

dano stagna, s\ com' a stagnates, as at Pola, near 

Pola, presso del Quar- the Quarnaro. 
naro. D. 

By these examples it would appear that the prepo- 
sition a is also employed to indicate station ; yet 
here, likewise, this preposition performs the office that 
we have attributed to it 3 for it designates Bologna, 
Arli, and Pola, as the places to which the mind is 
directed. 

THE PREPOSITION DA. 

I. 

1. Da Parigi partitosi, verso Having- departed from Paris, 

G^nova se ne venne. B. he went towards Genoa. 

2. L'un dalP altro era Ion- One was about ten miles dis- 

tano hen died miglia. B. tant from the other. 

The character of the preposition da, is to design the 
point from which motion or distance commences, and. 



189 

figuratively, the object from which the action or cause 
proceeds. In the former, it is preceded by a verb ex- 
pressing motion, or by an adjective denoting distance, 
as in the above examples ; and in the latter, by a verb 
signifying action, or motion of cause. Now, as all the 
difficulties offered by this preposition, consist in the 
expressions wherein it is employed in its figurative 
sense, I shall here endeavour to explain it; and ob- 
serve, in the first place, that whenever, instead of tu 
mi ami, tutti ti desiderano, noi cantiamo, we say, to 
sono amato da te, tu sei desiderata da tutti, da noi e 
cantato, or da noi si canta, the expressions are equi- 
valent, and the arrangement of words only is altered ; 
the person which in the former represents the agent, 
the subject of the proposition, in the latter is con- 
sidered as the point from which the action proceeds ; 
and is therefore designated by the preposition da. 
Consequently, when this preposition is placed either 
after a participle, — io sono ajnato da te, — ov before a 
verb attended with the particle si, — da noi si canta,- — 
there it is by virtue of the participle or the verb ; and 
when we can supply either a participle or such a verb 
in an elliptical sentence, it is sufficient to justify the 
application of the preposition. 

II. 

1. Had^luicid ch' ellavuole. She has from him what she 

B. desires. 

2. Sono cose tutte strane da They are all things unsuitable 

ordinato e costumato uo- to an accomplished and 

mo. B. well-bred man. 

3. Oltremodoeratrasformato He was extremely altered 

da quello che esse?- so- from what he used to be. 

leva. B. 

4. Ciascuno commendb la no- Every one commended the 

vella dalla reina contata. story related by the queen. 

B. 



190 

5. Essifanno ritratto^^quello They show from whence they 

onde nati sono. B. are descended. 

6. Aspettava di dovere essere He expected that she would 

con grand tssima festa receive him with great 

ricevuto da lei. B. joy. 

7. Da grave dolor vinto, Overcome with grief, he fell 

cadde, B. down. 

In each of the above examples, there is a word ex- 
pressing motion of action, or cause, or an adjective 
which justifies the use of the preposition. 

In the first example, the verb avere supposes a 
previous act of obtaining ; and therefore lui repre- 
sents the person from whom that which is obtained 
proceeds. 

It is by virtue of analogy, that, in the second and 
third examples, the adjectives strane and trasformato 
govern the preposition da. We make use of metaphor 
when analogy exists ; namely, when there is a resem- 
blance between things, with regard to some circum- 
stances or effects. I shall here endeavour to prove that 
there is analogy between strano and trasformato, and 
the physical word lontano, which, having the most im- 
mediate reference to sensible objects, is the most proper 
to govern the preposition da. The adjective lontano 
expresses distance from one place to another, and 
implies also difference between them, with regard to 
situation. Strano, strange, denotes difference of coun- 
try or manners ; and as difference of country or man- 
ners is supposed in two places distant from one another, 
strano also implies distance. Trasformato, altered, 
indicates change of forms, and, consequently, difference 
of forms; and two objects of different forms are sup- 
posed to be distant from one another ; so that trasfor- 
mato conveys likewise the idea of distance. There is 
then analogy between these three adjectives, in point 



191 

of difference and distance; and strano and trasformato 
may be substituted for lontano, in a metaphorical sense. 

In the fourth example, the preposition designates the 
individual from whom the relation had proceeded. 

The word ritratto, of the fifth example, signifies 
immagine ritratta, image drawn. The act itself, ex- 
pressed by this word, of taking from one object and 
applying to another, requires the preposition da. 

In the sixth example, the pronoun lei is preceded 
by the preposition da, by virtue of the participle 
ricevuto. 

The English sometimes apply the preposition with, to 

the agent, as in the seventh example, because the 

agent may be considered as the means by which the 

action is performed. The Italians, as we have already 

remarked, employ da, indicating the point whence the 

action comes. 

III. 

l.Nonhddimaravigliarsi. B. No wonder. 

2. Egli b oggi di da lavorare. It is a working day, 

B. 

3. Non h da domandare. B. It is not to be asked. 

4. Quivi per aver da man- They repaired there for sup- 

giare si riparavano. B. port. 

5. Credendola acqua da here, Thinking it was potable wa- 

tutta la bevve. ter, he drank. 

6. Par persona molto da bene He looks like a worthy and 

e costumato. B. well-bred man. 

Whenever the preposition da precedes a verb in the 
infinitive, it does not refer to the latter, but to a pre- 
ceding word expressed or understood, from which the 
idea specified by the verb itself proceeds. In the first 
example, this idea is cagione di maravigliarsi, cause 
of wonder, proceeding from the word cosa, understood; 
as it were, non ^ (cosa) da (la quale venga cagione di) 



192 

maravigliar&i. Likewise, in the Second example, the 
word di, day, represents the point from which the 
idea, uso di lavorare, custom of working, proceeds, 
viz. egli ^ oggi di da (il quale viene Vuso di) lavorare. 
In the third, the word understood is cosa; the idea, 
bisogno di domandare, necessity of asking; namely, 
non ^ (cosa) da (cui venga il bisogno di) domandare. 
In the fourth, the preposition refers to cosa; and in 
the fifth to acqua, considered as things from which we 
take meat and drink; as it were, cosa da (la quale si 
tolga il) mangiare; acqua da (la quale si toglie il) bere. 

For the same reason we say, uomo da bene, an honest 
man; uomo da molto, a man of great account or ca- 
pacity ; uomo da poco, a man of little account or 
capacity ; uomo da meno, or da piii, di un altro, a man 
of less or greater account or capacity than another; 
uomo da cid, a man fit for this, &c. ; the preposition 
da designing the man as a point from which capacity 
or account proceeds. The noun understood in Italian 
may be conto, account ; valore, ability, capacity, or 
worth, &c. according to the circumstance. 

The Italians employ these elliptical sentences with- 
out any difficulty, having been accustomed from in- 
fancy to a similar mode of speaking; but in learn- 
ing other languages, and comparing their equivalent 
expressions with Italian, the latter appear to us so 
irregular, that we must inquire after their entire sense, 
in order to avoid the use of foreign expressions. 
But never let a foreigner be too confident that he is 
able to feel the full force of these Italian idioms, and 
consequently to employ them seasonably, if he do 
not endeavour, by the analytical way which I point 
out, thoroughly to comprehend the idea contained 
therein. 



193 



IV. 

1. Le comincio ad insegnare He beg-an to teach her a ca- 

un calendario buono da lendar fit for boys. 

fanciulli. B. 

2. lo mi vestirb da donna, e I will dress myself as a wo- 

non sard conosciuto. F. man, and thus I shall not 

be known. 

3. Questa risposta non t stata This answer is not that of a 

da pa^^o. F. mad man. 

4. Zucca da sale. A salt-box. 

5. Altro non rimase di lui There was none of the family 

che una damigella gid da left besides an only daug*h- 

jnarito. B. ter, of ag'e to marry. 

In all the foregoing examples, the preposition is 
required either by a participle, or by a verb attended 
with the particle si, in order to designate the object 
from which the action expressed by the verb is pro- 
duced : as will appear by supplying the words which 
are understood, thus — 1. Un calendario biiono (per It 
fanciulli e per cib usato) da fanciulli; — 2. lo mi vestird 
(con panni usati) da donna; — 3. Questa risposta non ^ 
stata (tale quale si fa) dapazzo; — 4. Zucca da (cui si 
contiene) sale ; — 5. Damigella gid (in etdj da (la quale 
si richiedej marito. 

By the fourth example we learn, that whenever an 
object is preceded by what it is fit for, the latter must, 
in Italian, follow the former, and be preceded by the 
preposition da, thus: oil-cask, botte da oglio; writing- 
paper, carta da scrivere; fowl-cage, cesta dapolli, &c. 

V. 

\,SiconfessddL?dl'arcivescovo She confessed to the arch- 
di Ruem. B. bishop of Rouen. 

2. Aveva nome Bernabd Lo- He was named Bernabo Lo- 
rn e/^m da Genoua. B. ^ mellin of Genoa. 

e c 



194 

3. Avrebbe voluto che da se He wished him to go away 

stesso si fosse partito. B. of his own accord. 

4. Vi raenero da lei. B. I will bring" you to her. 

5. Subitamente uscirono da Suddenly, about twelve men 

dodici fanti. B. came rushing out. 

6. lo non ci fui mat se non I was never here till a short 

da pccofa in qua. B. time ago. 

7. Serrerai ben Vuscio da via. Be sure you lock the street- 

B. door. 

In the first example, the English employ the pre- 
position to, to indicate to whom the confession is 
addressed^ and the Italians employ cZa, to denote by 
whom the confession is heard; a circumstance implied 
in the English sentence. Likewise, in the second, the 
English qualify the man as an inhabitant, and the 
Italians designate the place from which he came. 
This produces the application of two different prepo- 
sitions to two equivalent expresions. 

The preposition da, in the third example, designates 
the person from whom the resolution of departing 
ought to come. Thus, in the like expressions; Tu la 
portasti da t.e a te, Thou broughtest it thyself; Parla 
da se. He speaks alone ; Se ne andb da se, He is gone 
away of his own accord ; Se iC e cagione da se a se, It 
is of her own doing ; the preposition designs the per- 
son from whom the cause of the action expressed by 
the verb is produced; in which sentences, the pronoun 
and the preposition supply the English expressions. 
Of one's own making, Of one's own accord. The cause, 
in such instances, tends to the person from whom it 
proceeds — da se a se; as it were, la cagione venendo 
da se e ritornando a se; and hence the preposition a is 
also employed. 

The preposition da is applied in the fourth example 
to the pronoun lei, because the person represented by 



195 

it, is considered as the centre of the place from which 
all the surrounding parties remove ; as it were, vi 
menero Cm luogo moventesi) da leif. For the same 
reason we say, Vo da Ini, I am going to him ; Verrd da 
voi, 1 will call upon you ; Venite da me^ Come to my 
lodgings, &c. 

We see from the fifth example, that, instead of say- 
ing, Uscirono da dodici a tredici fa;iti, About twelve 
men came out; Ella incontrogli da tre a quattro gradi 
discese, She went out to meet him about three steps; 
F' erano da quattro a cinque mila uomini, There were 
about four thousand men — we say, omitting the second 
number, Uscirono da dodici fanti; Ella incontrogli da 
tre gradi discese; V erano da quattro mila uomini. As 
in that case we do not indicate numbers precisely, but 
nearly, w^e establish a relation of difference or distance, 
(for the former implies also the latter, as shewn in 
page 190, respecting the adjectives strano and trasfor- 
mato), A diifereoce or distance established between 
two things, supposes two points; one whence distance 
proceeds, and one whereto such distance tends. Hence 
the prepositions da and a affixed to the two numbers ; 
one of which is understood. 

The entire construction of the expression of the 
sixth example, lo cifui da pocofa in qucL, is, (il tempo 
passato cominciando) da (quando) io cifui (e venendo) 
in quci fa poco (tempo). Thus, poco fa is the point 
from which the distance of time commences. 

We say, likewise, Io non sono uscito da stamattina 
in qua, I have not been out since this morning ; Non 
V ho veduto da Lunedi in quel, I have not seen him 
since Monday ; Questo ^ quello a die io attendo da tre 

•f Let those to whom this definition may appear harsh, consider that a 
similar idea is expressed in English, when they say. Come ly me, or, Come 
hy my side; for it would seem more regular to say. Come to my side. 

c c 2 



196 

anni in qud, This is what I have aimed at for these 
three years. 

The expression of the seventh example, Vuscio da 
via, implies, Vuscio (uscendo) da (il quale si va in) 
via. The preposition indicates the point from which 
he who is going out, departs. 

We have thus furnished a sufficient definition and 
analysis, to enable the student to examine still further 
the nature and somewhat difficult application of this 
preposition. 

VI. 
1* II senno di grandissimi Good sense saves the wise 
pericoli trae il savio. B. from great perils. 

2. Erafuggito di Parigi, B. He had fled from Paris. 

Although, in the above sentences, the verb expresses 
motion, nevertheless the place or object from which 
motion commences, is indicated by the preposition 
di, and not by da. This frequently occurs in Italian; 
and the reason is, that, instead of designating the 
point of departure, we qualify it ; the preposition da, 
and a generic name, being implied. In the first, for 
instance, this name may be dbisso, abyss ; in the se- 
cond, cittd., town. This cannot, however, be practised 
either when the preposition is applied to the agent, as, 
Egli ^ desiderata da tutti, He is desired by every one ; 
or in any of the idioms treated of in this section. 



THE PREPOSITION PER. 

I. 

1, Discende Verta, passando A being is coming down from 

per li cerchi . . ., tal che the declivity, and passing 

per lui ne fia la terra throughout the circles, by 

aperta, D. v^hom the gates of the 

town will be opened. 

2, Quello imperador che lassu That emperor who rules a- 

regna . . . non vuol che in bove, does not permit any 

sua cittd per me si vegna. one entering his abode by 

D. my means. 



197 

The character of the preposition jjer, is to designate 
the place through which we pass; and, in the figurative 
sense, the object, through the medium of which, the 
cause, the means, and sometimes the action, passes. 
I say the cause, the means, and sometimes the action, 
for there is a considerable difi'erence, as may be seen 
from the first example, in which, if the preposition 
there applied to the pronoun lui, as the person by 
whom the action passes, denoted passage of means, 
the meaning should be. On his account, the gates of the 
toivn vjill he open; and the Italian words would be the 
same. On the contrary, in the second example, if the 
person represented by the personal noun me, consi- 
dered as the passage of the means, denoted the pas- 
sage of the action, the meaning would be. That emperor 
does not permit me entering his abode. But this prepo- 
sition is seldom used to denote passage of action, and 
only in the sublime, instead of da. 

II. 

1. Trarrotti di qui (facen- I will draw you out of this 

doti passare) per luogo place by an eternal one. 

eterno. D. 

2. (Passando) per me si va Passing by me, one goes into 

nella cittd dolente. D. the city of misery. 

Sometimes, as we see from these examples, the 
word expressing passage, is understood. 

Upon the gate of the hell imagined by Dante, there 
is the famous description, beginning, Per me si va, &c. 
The poet personates the gate, which shows upon its 
front that description, as if the gate uttered the words. 
Passing by me, one goes, &c. The preposition per is, 
therefore, used here in its physical and simplest 
sense. Nevertheless, I have heard many Italians most 
absurdly explain per me si va by io vo; applying 
thereby the preposition to the agent, and denoting 



198 

passage of action, as if the person about to enter the 
gate spoke. This, and what we have said in the pre- 
ceding paragraph, respecting those examples from 
Dante, show the necessity of our mode of analysing. 

III. 

1. Con un cavaliers d'un He hired himself as servant to 

conte paesano per fante a knight of a country earl. 

si mise. B. 

2. Per virtu e per raeriti il He deserved it on account of 

valeva. B. his virtue and merit. 

3. Qualunque cosa h per se A thing blameable in itself, 

dabiasimare,^ piulaida excites more disgust than 

che quella die e per ac- one which is merely so 

cidente. D. from accident. 

4. Ella non ci pud, -per potere Whatever be its power, it 

che ella abbia, nuocere. B. cannot hurt us. 

5. Mando per lui. B. He sent for him. 

6. lo son venuta a ristorarti I am come to make you 

dei danni li quali tu hai amends for what you have 

avutiper jne. B. suffered on mi/ account. 

We have observed that, in the figurative sense, the 
preposition joer, designs the object by which the cause 
passes. In all the above examples, the verbs denote 
effects, their causes passing through the things to 
which the preposition per is affixed ; as it were, for 
instance, in the first example, la cagione del suo met- 
tersi .... passando per esser fante; in the second, la 
cagione del suo valer questo passando per virtii e per 
meriti; in the third, la cagione del hiasimo passando per 
se, passando per accidente; in the fourth, il mezzo del 
nuocere passando per potere che ella abbia; in the fifth, 
la cagione del mandare passando per cercar lui. 

This preposition supplies to, before an infinitive, 
when it signifies in order to; as, " To please my friend," 
Per compiacere all' amico. 



199 

Agreeably to the first example we say, Se ne va a 
Roma per amhasciadore, He is going to Rome as am- 
bassador ; Fu mandato a Milano per podesta, He was 
sent to Milan as sheriff, &c. 

According to the expression of the fourth example, 
we say. Per pensieri ck' io abbia, or Per quanti pensieri 
io abbia. Whatever be my thoughts; Per timore ch' io 
abbia, or Per quanto timore io abbia, Whatever be my 
fear; Per quanto egli sia ricco, However rich he may- 
be ; Per quanto egli sia ostinato. However obstinate he 
may be; Per cosa che io vegga, Whatever I see; Per 
cosa che io senta. Whatever I hear, &c. 

From the second example we learn also, that the 
preposition per, supplies the expressions, on account 
of, out of; and from the sixth, that, when a possessive 
adjective precedes the word account, it must be repre- 
sented in Italian by a pronoun. 



THE PREPOSITION IN. 

1. Dimmi chi tu se', che in si Tell me who you are, that 

dolente luogo se' messa. are placed in so miserable 

D. an abode. 

2. Io credo che egli non sia in I believe he is not in his 

huon senno, B. right senses. 

3. Se n' andd in cor tedi Roma. He went to the court of 

B. Rome. 

4. Sensa alcuno indugio, di- Without delay, he sent two 

scretissime persone man- discreet persons, one to 

do e ^ Genova e in Sici- Genoa, and the other to 

lia. B. Sicily. 

5. Vi amerd in perpetuo. B. I will love you to all eternity. 

6. Egli sono state assai volte It happened often in the 

(in) il di, che ... B. day, that . . , 

The character of the preposition in, is to mark the 
place one actually occupies, as in the first example, 
and, figuratively, the manner of being or acting, as in 



^00 

the second. According to the expression of the third 
and fourth examples, we say, Andare in America, 
in Francia, in Italia; and, Andare a Milano, a Fi- 
renze, a Roma; because we consider Ihe former as 
places in which the latter, that we have appointed to 
be the end of our journey, are situated. In the first 
instance, we express the act of travelling in; in the 
second, that of proceeding to. Thus we say, Andare 
a casa, To go home ; Andare in casa, To go in ; and, 
likewise, Andare in cucina, in sala, in camera, Go into 
the kitchen, &c. From the analogy existing between 
time and place, we indicate also by the preposition in, 
a period of time during which we are living or acting, 
as appears from the fifth example. The sixth shows, 
that when this preposition has to point out the year, 
month, week, or day, it is omitted. 



THE PREPOSITION CON. 

1. Non pomi v* eran, ma There were no fruit, but thorns 

stecchi con tosco. D. with poison. 

2. II sua nato e co' vivi ancor His son is still among the 

congiunto, D. living. 

3. Con lei dimoravano due Two of her brothers lived 

suoi fratelli. B. with her. 

4. Egli e andato a desinare He is gone to dine with a 

con un suo amico. B, friend. 

5. Chiron prese uno strale, e Chiron took an arrow, and 

con la coccafece la harba with its notch removed the 

indietro allemascelle. D. beard from his mouth. 

The character of the preposition con, is to design a 
body contiguous to, or joined with another, as in the 
first and second examples; and, figuratively— -1. To 
denote a person living or acting in concert with an- 
other, as in the third and fourth examples j— 2. To 
designate the means, the instrument with which we 
perform something, as in the fifth. 



201 



THE PREPOSITIONS ERA or INFRA, TRA or 
INTRA, BETWEEN, AMONG. 

1. Tra Beatrice e te e questo Between thee and Beatrice is 

muro. D. placed this wall. 

2. Fra se talora dicevano, che Sometimes they said to them- 

uojno e costui? B. selves, What man is this? 

3. Nacque tra Vuna na^ione e A long- and furious war arose 

Valtra acerba e continua between the two nations, 

guerra. B. 

The character of the prepositions /ra or fra, and the 
compound infi^a or inti'ci, is to designate the medium, 
between two or several places or objects, as in the 
first example ; the entire construction of which is, nel 
luogo posto tra Beatrice e te. They are employed figu- 
ratively, to denote the concurrence of many agents or 
circumstances into one action or thing. Remark, in the 
second example, that the Italians make use of the pre- 
position fra in similar expressions ; and as, in such 
instances, the point of tendency is always in reference 
with the subject, the pronoun se serves for masculine 
and feminine, singular and plural. He said to him- 
self. She said to herself. They said to themselves; 
Egli or Ella dissefra se; Essi, or Esse dissero fra se. 



EXERCISE XVIII. 

1. My friend and I were admitted by them into this 
— — — — — mettere * — * cotal 

society. 
brigata 

2. It is about eight days ago. 

* (1) *(3) (4) di(5) passato(2} 

3. Thus lived and died Sir Ciapperello of Prato. 

Dd 



202 

4. It is wonderful to behold in the dining'-room 

maravigliosa cosa ^ * vedere * — sala dove mangiamo 

the tables spread in a royal manner, with the 

— — messo "^ la * e — 

great number of g-oodly servants at every one 's 
quantitd — hello servidore — — * 

command. 
piacer 

5. She told to every one who inquired (of her) 

— — tutti quelli — domandare (3) * 

about them, that they were her sons. 
*(1) (2) - 

6. I hold it convenient for us to remove from this place^ 
— reputare opportuno * mutarsi di qui 

and go elsewhere. 

— andarne — 

7. He is the most fitted in the world for it. 
— miglior * — — * — 

8. After they have taken a dance or two, every one 
poi che — fatta — dansa — — — 

retires to his chamber. 
andarsene* * — camera 

9. Neither old ag-e, nor illness, nor fear of deathf, 

n^ vecchies^a — infermita — paura — — 

could turn him from his wickedness. 
hanno potuto rimuovere — — — malvagitd 



f Should any of the preceding substantives be employed alone, for 
instance, ** old age could not," the mind of the speaker would then intend 
to specify by old age, the generic nature of things^ and the substantive 
ought in Italian to be pointed out by the article. — (See page 27, our remarks 
on the word constancy) . — But, in the present case, the substantives being 
employed to denote things only, without any particttlarity , no article is 
required. When any difficulty in the application of the article presents 
itself, I wish to call the attention of the student, in order to prove to him, 
that, as I have remarked in page 25, it is by no means an easy matter ia 
syntax, although scarcely mentioned in any English Grammar. 



203 

10. This is then the mig-hty mischief committed by liim 

— — adunque — gran male adoperare * — 

as a friend, and by me as a lover ? 

11. The judg-e, who expected to be received by her with 

¥: * * 

the utmost joy, beg-an to say to himself. 
grandissimo festa — * — * — 

12. He took a lodging- in Cucumber street. 

prendere — casa — cocomero * via 

13. To please their friends, twice at least in a month, 

* compiacere* — — — — — * il — 
they met in some place fixed upon by them. 
ritrovarsi — — luogo ordinare — — 

14. Knowing" not what to say, she did not answer her 

sapere — — dover dire — — — * * 

son, hut remained silent. 
figliuolo — starsi* 

15. He determined to ennoble himself by marriag-e. 

pensaf^e * volere ingentilir * moglie 

16. She sent her maid to tell him, that she had 

(4)per(l)(2)fante(3)dicendo — — — — 

yet had no opportunity of doing* any thing*. 

mai — * tempo * poter far — — 

17. Were you a stranger to love, I should think you of 

se innamorato non foste — reputare — * 

little worth. 
assai poco 

18. Tell me the place where you have laid your 
insegnare — — luogo — — po7^re * 

clothes, and I will go for them. 
panni — * * 

19. She, who had eat nothing the day before, being now 

— — — — non — — davanti 

pinched with hunger, fed upon the green 
costringere * — darsi a pascer — 

herbs. 

Dd2 



204 

20. There wait until he comes whom we will send 
quivi — tanto che "^(2) venga(^l) — — — 

for you. 
* 

21. Let us g-o into the chamber, and see from a 
andarsene* — camera — guar dare (4) (1) (2) 

little window what that man is doing-. 
(etta) (3) — * fare 

22. Call upon him, and try if thy understanding-, with 

chiamare — — provare senno — 

his, is able to deliver thee from my folly. 

— potere — — * — sciocchezza 

23. The countess intends to make you a knig-ht at her own 

expence. 

spese 

24. If nothing- can move you to pity, yet let/the 
poiche niuna cosa muovere — — — — \ — 

love you have for that lady by whom you say 

— * — portare * — donna * — — — che 

you are beloved,\ prevail upon you. 

— — — J(S) muovere(\) (2) 

25. I have found one of more account than you are. 
-— — * molto piu — * — — 

26. Being- now of age to marry, she had never 

— ella gid — — * non — mai 

been able to forget her first love. 
— dimenticare — — — 

27. The disconsolate lady, seeing- that all these words 

— — donna — — — — — 

tended to some cruel purpose, beg-an to 

riuscire * crudel fine ricominciare * 

weep ag-ain. 
piangere 

28. Having- boug-ht about twenty oil-casks, and filled 

— * — * — empiere 

them, he returned to Palermo. 
* tornarsene^ in — 



d 



205 

29. The monk broug-ht him something to eat and drink. 

— monaco — — alquanto * — — — 

30. The queen, to pursue the method of her predecessors, 

— — * segui?^e — stilo — ■ — — 

ordered Pamphilus to sing- a song*. 
comandare* Panfilo die cantasse — canzone 

31. So, being- returned to Florence, he put an end to 
cosi tornarsene — — porre — — — 

his fervent love, after having- afforded g-reat matter for 

— — — — dare molto * 

diversion to his friends. 
ridere compagno 

32. They were all crowned with oak leaves, 

* — — inghirlandare(4) *(1) (3) frQnde(2) 

with their hands full of sweet-smelling* herbs and 
— * — — — erba odorifera — 

flowers. 



33. If thou doest not perform it, never look upon me more, 
— — — fare il* non aver — mai 

either as a relation or friend. 
ne * — parente ne — 

34. Either these people will not be vanquished by death, 

(3) »(1) (2) 

or he will find them merry. 

— ella uccidere — lieto 

35. Will thy heart serve thee, to touch her with a 

(3) (4) dare (I) (2) * — — 

certain charm that I will g-ive thee ? 
brieve — — 

36. He then lived in the old market, at the sig-n of 

— allora stare — (2) (1) * — insegna — 

the Melon. 



37. What shall I say to her on your part, if it 
— volete die * * — — — . — 

happen that I speak to her? 
avviene — — favellare * 



206 

38. As there is no time for your travelling* any farther, 
poiche ci — * — * potere andare altrove 

I will entertain you as well as I can. 

— albergare — potrd 

39. I have been about six times into the country since 
— — andare * — — * villa poscia che 

I parted with you. 

— partirsi * — 

40. As they had brought provision along- with them for 

* * portare o — * * 

supper, they supped tog-ether with their landlord. 
cena (5) insieme (^l) (2) * (3) oste(4) 

41. Having- risen betimes in the morning-, 

levarsi{A) per tempissimo (d>) * (1) (2) 

she sent to her husband, to know what he 
fare * (2) (3) domandare (1) — 

would have for dinner. 
voleva sifacesse * desinare 

42. He became particularly intimate with a man who 

— prendere stretta dimestichesza — — — 

was called Peter of Tre santi; and in token of 
* chiamare — * — — — — segno — 

kindness and friendship, according- to the custom 
amorevolessa — amista * — guisa 

of Pug-lia, never called him otherwise than his 
PugUese non -r- — se non 

comrade Peter. , 

compar — 

43. Have a care that, whatever you see, you utter not a 

guardarsi* — * — * — dire non — 

single word. 
(2) (0 

44. She hid him under a chicken coop. 

— nascondere — — — poUi * cesta 

45. I am a brother to the lady within. 
— — * — —■ dild entro 



207 



CHAP. XXIII. 

RESPECTING THE USE OF SOME MOODS AND 

TENSES. 



OF THE INDICATIVE. 



1. Vedendo la barca, si ma- 

r^aviglid. B. 

2. Tutto altrimejiti addivenne 

che ella avvisato non 
avea. B. 

3. Questo ronzino ci capitd 

iersera. B. 

4. Tre di gli chiamai, poi 

ch' e' fur morti. D. 

5. Mi davano si poco salaro, 

che io non ne poteva pure 
appenapa,ureical.arl 

6. Io non credeva che gli 

agnoli facessero queste 
cose> B. 

7- St ornato e si pulito della 
persona andava, che ge- 
neralmente era chiamato 
il Zima. B. 



Perceiving- the boat, she was 
astonished. 

It happened quite otherwise 
than he had imagined. 

This tittle horse came here 
last night. 

I called them for three days, 
after they were dead. 

They gave me such small 
wages, that 1 could scarcely 
get my shoes. 

I did not believe that the 
angels did these things. 

He always dressed and adorn- 
ed his person so much, 
that he was usually called 
the Beau. 



As we remarked at the commencement of this Gram- 
mar, there are in Italian, two forms of expressing the 
perfect and imperfect tenses ; the first of which is 
used to indicate the act of an instant, or what hap- 
pened, what was performed at one, or even at several 
determinate times; and the second, to designate what 
usually happened, or was usually performed, during 
any undeterminate period of time. 

In the three first examples, the verbs maraviglib, 
addivenne, capitd, indicate facts of an instant, without 



208 

any continuation ; in the fourth, although an action is 
indicated which was repeated, the time is determined 
by the period of three days; but in the three last 
examples, the verbs designate facts which were cus- 
tomary. The wages, for instance, are a reward sti- 
pulated for, and paid every year; the purchase of 
shoes is continually repeated ; and therefore, in the 
fifth example, the verbs dare, and potere, are in the 
imperfect. The speaker, in the sixth example, says 
credeva; because, formerly, he had constantly believed 
in that manner. In the seventh, the verb andare, and 
essere, are put in the imperfect ; as it was the custom 
of the person spoken of to be well dressed, and to be 
called Beau. 

The imperfect tense is sometimes indicated in 
English by the auxiliary verb to be; as, ** He was 
coming," Egli veniva; — or by the verb would; as, " He 
would say to every one," A ognuno diceva; Once a 
year, at least, they would dress all alike, Essi si vesti- 
vano insieme almeno una volta Vanno. 



OF THE IMPERATIVE. 

1. Levati. B. (Thou) Rise. 

2. Non f impacciare. B. Do not concern thyself. 

3. Perchh egli il negasse,non If he should deny it, do not 

gliel credete. B. believe him. 

The form used in the imperative for the second per- 
son of the singular, cannot be employed in Italian 
w^hen the verb is attended with a negative. In that 
case we make use of the infinitive, as in the second 
example, the entire construction of which is tion ti 
(devi) impacciare ? Should, therefore, the verb of the 
first example be attended with a negative, the Italian 



209 

ought to say, Non ti levare. Likewise we say, Paria, 
Speak ; Leggi, Read ; Va, Go ; and Non parlare, Do 
not speak ; Non leggere, Do not read ; Non andare, Do 
not go ; but only in the singular ; for the third example 
shows that, in the plural, the form of the imperative is 
used also with the negative. 



OF THE CONDITIONAL. 

1. lo vorrei che mi vedeste I wish yoo could see how I 

tra' dottori come io soglio am accostomed to appear 

stare. B. among the doctors. 

2. Avrebbe voluto che si fosse He would like him to have 
partito. B. departed. 

3. Chi Vavrebhe potuto co- Who could have recognized 

noscere ? B. him ? 

When the verb wish^ is followed by one of the auxi- 
liaries, should, might, could, &c. in Italian, the former 
must be put in the conditional, and followed by the 
conjunction che, and the latter in the subjunctive. 

The different construction of the two languages, in 
the second example, is to be remarked. Word for 
word, the Italian says, He would have liked; and like 
is rendered by volere. 

The literal expression of the Italian, in the third 
example, is, '* Who could have been able to recog- 
nize him?" and so, likewise, should the English be 
expressed, according to the proper agreement of 
tenses between verbs, if it were not to avoid the re- 
petition of so many auxiliaries. Whenever, therefore, 
the two auxiliaries, coidd have, are followed by a verb 
in the participle past, the verb have, which is in the 
infinitive in English, must be put in the conditional in 
Italian, and followed by pot ere in the participle. The 
principal verb, which is in the participle in English, 
should be in the infinitive in Italian. 

E e 



210 



OF THE SUBJUNCTIVE. 

I. 

1. lo non so perche io nol mi I do not know why I should 

faccia. B. not do it. 

2. Io non veggio come noi vi I do not see how we can 

possiam pervenire. B. arrive there. 

3. Come sapeste voi ch' io How did you know I was 

qui fossi? B. here? 

4. Gli occhi vostri voglio vi I wish your own eyes could 

faccian fede. B. bear you testimony. 

5. Io vi priego che a memo- I beg- you will recall to my 

ria mi riduciate chi voi memory who you are. 

siete. B. 

6. Domandb dove fosse quel He asked where that young- 

giovane, B. man was. 

7. Veramente io credo che voi Indeed I think you are rav- 

sog-niate. B. ing. 

8. Io non duhito che voi non I doubt not but you think 

vi crediate dir vera. B. you speak the truth. 

The subjunctive mood, so called because it is always 
subjoined to, and dependent upon, the indicative, is 
used to denote something contingent, which may or 
may not happen. 

Then, in Italian, whenever one verb depends upon 
another, indicating ignorance, inability, question, desire, 
entreaty, doubt, necessity, fear, &c. we must put the 
verb depending in the subjunctive; for we consider 
the dependent expression as subject to an uncertainty. 
If, for instance, we wish or believe, we may be denied, 
we may mistake ; if we interrogate upon any subject, 
it is because we are not sure whether it is, or is 
not, &c. 

In the first example, the subjunctive, faccia, depends 
upon the verb sapere, attended with a negative, and 
therefore expressing ignorance; in the second, the 



211 

subjunctive, possiam, depends upon the verb vedere, 
attended with a negative, and therefore expressing 
inability; in the third example, the subjunctive, /om, 
depends upon the verb sapere, used interrogatively, 
and therefore inferring doubt, &c. 

II. 

1. lo son contento di esser I am content always to be 

seinpre V ultimo che ra- the last to relate. 

g-ioni. B. 

2. Madonna, non vi discon- Madam, do not discomfort 

fortate prima che biso- yourself before it is ne- 

g-ni. B, cessary. 

3. Voi vedete quanto io sia You see how I am watched. 

guardato. B. 

4. II piu contento uom fu che He was the happiest man 

fosse giammai. B. that ever existed. 

5. Bella cosa h il ferire un It is a commendable thing- to 

segno che mai non si hit a fixed mark : but . . . 

muti ; ma ... B. 

6. Mi consigliano che io mi They advise me to get some 

TpvocMvi del pane. B. bread. 

7. Guardatelo, che non si fug- Watch him, lest he should fly. 

gisse. F. 

8. A me par voi riconoscere* I think I recollect vou. 

B. 

There are instances in which a verb is put in the 
subjunctive, for the reason already mentioned, although 
it may not be apparent. We shall, however, lind the 
established principle by the following explanation. 

In the first example, ragionare is put in the sub- 
junctive, because it depends upon the preceding pro- 
position, expressed in a contingent manner. I am 
content to be, expresses a consent, subject to uncer- 
tainty with regard to the thing consented to ; so that, 
whenever a verb depends upon a proposition expressed 
in a manner supposed, negative, not absolute, or 

K e 2 



212 

whenever a verb is dependent upon another which is 
in the subjunctive, it must also be put in the same 
mood. 

In the second, the verb bisognare is put in the sub- 
junctive, by virtue of the following conjunction. A 
verb subject to the conjunction prima che, before, 
indicates something projected, and therefore only 
probable. 

A verb modified by the word quanto, as in the third 
example, is usually put in the subjunctive (excepting 
in comparisons, and when preceded by an interjec- 
tion); for the assertion, in such instances, is subject 
to alteration, with regard to the modification expressed 
by that very word. 

A verb modified by the adverb mai or giammai, is 
put in the subjunctive, when expressed by way of 
supposition, as in the fourth and fifth examples ; if 
they were employed entirely in a positive manner, the 
verbs essere and mutare should be used in the indica- 
tive ; for instance, fu il piu contento vomo, e piii con- 
tento di lid alcuno nonfu giammai; egli feri un segno 
che non si muta mai. 

Procurare is in the subjunctive, in the sixth exam- 
ple, as depending on the verb consigliare, of the same 
nature as those already mentioned -, but the verb 
governed by consigliare, pregare, and some others, 
may as well be put in the infinitive, preceded by the 
jjreposition a; as, mi consigliano a procurarmi del 
pane; vi prego a raccomandarmi a lui. 

The entire construction of the seventh example is, 
guardatelo a fin che, &c. ; from which we see, that the 
idea implied in the words non si fuggisse, is the end of 
the action expressed by the verb guardare. Now, as 
the end of our actions is always contingent, and may, 



213 

perhaps, never happen, notwithstanding all our fore- 
sight, it is consequently expressed by the subjunctive 
mood. Many similar conjunctions perform the same 
office. 

By the eighth example we learn, that a verb governed 
by one of the following, credere, parere, pensare, giu- 
dicare, stimare, and others of the same kind, is put in 
the infinitive, when the two verbs have the same sub- 
ject, and may be preceded by the preposition di; as, 
lo non so d'avervi mai piii visto, I do not recollect to 
have ever seen you ; lo ho paura di non girare, I am 
afraid, lest I should go mad. 

III. 

1. lo non so chi egli si fu. B. i do not know who it was. 

2. lo 7ion so chi voi w^iete, che I know not who you are, that 

me cost conoscete, B. are thus acquainted with 

me. 

When, of two circumstances, one is known, a verb 
which depends upon another, expressing ignorance, 
is put in the indicative. The person who said, lo 
non so chi egli si fu, had been asked whether he had 
never cheated any one ? He answered. Yes; but I do 
not knoiv, &c. Thus one circumstance was known to 
him in that case, namely, / know I cheated some per- 
son. From this circumstance, therefore, the verb essere, 
in the first example, is employed in the indicative. In 
the second example, should the verb essetx be used in 
the subjunctive, the speaker would express that he 
has not the least idea of the person spoken to ; and 
although it be so, yet the putting that verb in the 
indicative, serves as a modification of that circum- 
stance. 



214 



IV. 



1. lo non voglio che vol di 

me duhitiate. B. 

2. lo non vorrei che voi cre- 

deste che io fossi stata 
una milensa. B. 

3. II mio maggiore non ha 

mai sofferto ch' io le ah- 
hia mostrate. B. 

4. Tempo e omai che voi pro- 

viate che carico sia Pa- 
ver donne a reggere. B. 

5. / due fratelli duhitavan 

forte non gVingannasse. 
B. 

6. Temo che non sia gia si 

smarrito, che io mi sia 
tardi al soccorso levata. 
D. 

7. Tu hai spent il lume, per- 

che io non ti truovi. B. 

8. Se to non avessi temuto 

che dispiaciuto vi fosse, 

per certo io Vavreifatto. 

B. 



I do not wish yoa to fear on 
my account. 

I would not have you believe 
that I have been a sim- 
pleton. 

My superior would never 
suffer me to make them 
public. 

It is now time for you to 
prove what a task it is to 
govern women, 

The two brothers were much 
afraid lest he should im^ 
pose upon them. 

I fear he is already so far 
gone astray, that I came 
too late to bis succour. 

You have put out the candle, 
that I should not find you. 

Had I not feared that it would 
displease you, I would 
have done it. 



In order to translate English expressions like those 
in the three first examples, in which the objects of the 
verbs ivishy have, and suffer^ govern the infinitive of those 
which depend upon them — 1. The former verb must be 
followed by the conjunction che; — 2. The word which 
represents the object of the first verb in English, be- 
comes the subject of the second in Italian; — 3. The 
latter verb must therefore be put in the subjunctive 
mood. If the sentence be constructed according to the 
second example, the verb have is omitted in the trans- 
lation. The fourth example, although not expressed 
in English quite in the same way as the above men- 
tioned, is subject, in Italian, to the same construction. 



215 

111 the fifth and sixth examples, the negative is not, 
as it would appear, superfluous. As the verbs dubitare 
and temere, express the fluctuation of our mind be- 
tween two contrary ideas, the negative implies an idea 
contrary to that which is expressed by the following 
verb, as it were, in the first example : duhitavan forte, 
non (credendo die dicesse il vero, ma die J gV irigan- 
nasse; in the second, temo die non ( si possa piii rav- 
viare, ma die) sia gid, si smarrito, &c. The negative, 
therefore, is necessary in Italian, after the verbs du- 
hitare, temere, aver paura. Che non answer to lest; 
and die may be understood agreeably to the fifth 
example. 

In the seventh example, to make tenses agree with 
one another, the first auxiliary, have, being in the 
present, the auxiliary of the ^eih find should also be 
in the present; namely. That I may not find; or we 
should say, You put out the candle , that I should not, &c. 
In the eighth example, likewise, the verbs had feared, 
representing a compound imperfect, the word displease 
should also be put in that tense ', i. e. that it would 
have displeased. Now, as this non-accordance of 
tenses is in English allowable in such a case, we must 
make them agree in Italian. 



OF THE INFINITIVE. 

1. Essi non si vergognano They are not ashamed to 

che altri sappia loro es- have it known they are 

ser gottosi. B. g'outy. 

2. Credonsi che altri non co- They suppose us to be ig-no- 

nosca, le vigilie dover rant, that watching- causes 

renders gli uomini pal- people to be pale. 

lidi. B. 

The Latin manner, like that of the first and second 



216 

examples, loro esser gottosi, and le vigilie dover ren- 
dered of employing the object, and making it govern 
the infinitive, instead of the subject governing the 
indicative, is often to be found in our best writers, 
and maybe used by those who have acquired sufficient 
taste in the Italian language. The usual way is, die 
essi son gottosi; che le vigilie debbono rendere. 



EXERCISE XIX. 

1. Do you think he can refrain? 

credere che — si * tenere 

2. The child, who was clever, acted entirely 

— fanciullo — * intendente fare* ottimamente 

after the prudent nurse 's advice. 

secondo — savio balia * ammaestramenti 

3. I firmly believe that what he has said, has happened 

— (2) (1) — — — — — * intervenire 
to him. 

4. I cultivated a fine large garden, went sometimes 

— lavorare — giardino bello e grande * — 

for the wood, drew water, and did such like 
— ■ — legne attignere * — — ' * cotale altro 

little services. 
(etto) servigiof 

5. There is no man who is a true and right estimator 

— non — — * — — — giusto misuratore 

of himself; so much does self-love deceive us. 

— * * propria car it a ingannare ne 

f We have remarked in page 13, that nouns ending in cio and gio, are 
pluralized by merely suppressing the o. Such are, for instance, impaccio, 
trouble ; laccio, net ; agio^ ease ; higio, grey ; wherein the syllables cio and 
gio are pronounced as in the English words chop and jog; the i, therefore, 
not being heard at all. But in the following, servigio, service ; officio, 
office ; heneficio, benefit ; Frigioy a Phrysian, the i in the syllables cio and 
gio, although not bearing the accent, is distinctly heard ; so that the plural 
of those nouns must have either two i 's, or one j. From custom only, can 
we learn the nouns wherein the i is distinguished. 



217 

6. It was customary in that court, that neither 
* questa (4) usansa (5) (I) (2) (3) — ne 

wine, bread, nor any thing- else for eating- or 
— n^ — — altro — * — — 

drinking-, was ever placed upon the tables, 

here * giammai(2) porre^Q) in su — — 

till the abbot was seated at his table. 

se prima — — non veniva a sedere - — la — 

7. I thoug-ht you were dumb. 
— credere * die — * mutolo 

8. Neither (thou) pretend to be surprised, . nor waste 

non far vista — maravigliarsi * — perder * 

speeches in denying- it. 
parola — negare lo 

9. He beg-an to consider w^hat course he oug-ht to 

cominciare * pensare — modo 0*0 

pursue. 
tenere 

10. About the twentieth day after my departure from 
forse — — giorno — - — partita — 

you, our ship, rent by a violent tempest, 

— — nave sdruscito per — Jiei^o tempesta 

struck ag-ainst a rock. 
- percuotere* ad — scoglio 

11. Woman, it is now time to prove 

donna (6) (2) (1) (3) (4) dimostrare (5) 

how much thou art beloved bv me. 
- * (3) (I) (2) 

12. This must be done so privately, that your 

— convien che * — — segretamente — — 

enemy hear nothing- of it. 
avversario non sapere * il^ 

13. 



I do 


not 


know 


what 


harm 


there 




would 


be 


ill 


— 


— 


sapere 


— 


mal 





si 




i^ 


a 


doing- 


it. 



















— lo 

14. Ah! how wrong- I was, to have no pity on him. 
deh * mal fare a — * — di — 

Ff 



218 

15. 1 thought that the impetuous wind of envy 

— estimare — — — — — — 

could strike only hig-h towers, or the 

dovere * percuotere se non le — — — — 

highest tops of the trees. 
levato * cima — — alhero 

16. I do not deem it necessary to tell you 

— — credere ehe bisognare * che to raccontare * — 

the story of my misfortune. 

— — sciagura 

17. Among the other most rare jewels which he had in 

intra — — (2) caro (3) (1) — * — 

his treasure, there was a very beautiful and precious 

— -__ belio * (2) (3) (4) 

ringt. 

(1) 

18. She resolved. with greatness of spirit, 
seco(5^ proporre* (6) (1) attes^a(2) (3) ammo (4) 

to trample upon the miseries of her fortune. 

— calcare — miseria — 

19. 1 wish he had been thrown from the bridge into the 

— * * — gittare — — — — 
Arno. 

20. Did not our messenger tell us that you trembled 

^nostro(A) messo(^) (2) (1) — — * 

like a leaf, and knew not where you were ? 
come — verga — sapere * — — — * 

21. I wish you to see how wisely you suffer 

— volere * * — discretamente — lasciare * 
yourself to be transported with gusts of passionj. 

* trasportare a impeto — ira 

t Remark, that the second proposition only is expressed with absolute 
affirmation. 

X We have observed, page 27, that the noun requires an article when it 
is determinative of another ; it is therefore for the student to consider, whe- 
ther the word spirit^ in the eighteenth example, is determinative of greats 
nessj or if passion, in the twenty-first, is determinative o( gusts; or whether 
it be possible to resolve with other greatness than that of the mind; or to 
be transported with other gusis than those of passion. 



219 

22. Often times she would inquire of him if there was any 
spesso — domandare'^ il — (3) (1) 

thing- which he fancied i 

(2) — — desiderare* 

23. No one knew where he had been, except those 
— persona sapef^e * — — * — se non — 

who had brought him his clothes. 

— * portare ■ — * panni 

24. You could not have discovered your mind to 

— pote7^e* — — — (2) animo (1) — 
any one in the world, who would be more useful 
persona di — — — *(4) (1) (2) 

to you than me. 

(3) * - 

25. I advise you again to stay at home,, or at 
(2) (4) (3) da capo {\) she starsi"^ — — — — 

least to abstain from going- into the grove. 

— che guardarsi* d' — — — bosco. 

26. Then, thinking- that every one was asleep, 

parendogli — — * addorm^nlato 

he arose softly, and went away. 

levarsi* pianamente — — via 

27. Fearing lest sleep should surprise him there, he 

temere * — soprapprendere * (3) (2^ quivi (^l) 

arose. 
levarsi * 

28. Though thy froward temper would never suffer 
ancora che — ritrosia non ahhia mai — 

me to have one happy day with thee, yet 

* * potuto avere — buon di — — pur 

1 should be sorry if any harm was to befall thee 
— dolente quando mal avvenire * — 

29. Then he began to ramble in his talk, like 
allora — * — entrare in farnetichi a guisa d' 

a man that was dreamingt. 

— uom — sognare* 

t In Italian, tlje expression, that was dreamhig, must be referred to tbe 
supposed man, and not to the real person represented by the pronoun he. 

Ff2 



220 

30. I am ashamed to speak the truth, lest 

— vergognarsi — dirvene — vero temendo * 

should sin by vain glory. 
peccare in — — 



CHAP. XXIV. 



CONCERNING THE SYNTAX OF THE VERBS 
ANDARE, VENIRE, DARE, FARE, and STARE. 



l.Andiamo a dargli hriga. B. Let us g-o and vex him. 

2. lomedesimovelsonvenuto I am come myself to tell it 

a signijicare. B. you. 

3. Tosto ella verrd, a te. B. She w^ill come to you directly. 

4. lo ne verrd con voi. B. I vs^ill go along w^ith you. 

5. Andianne ; e per istamat- Let us go ; do not fear to lose 

Una non aver paura di me this morning. 

perdermi, F. 

By the first example we learn, that when the term 
towards which motion tends, is represented by the 
person spoken of, we use the verb andare; but if that 
term be represented by the party addressed, as in the 
second and third examples, the verb venire ought to 
be employed, whatever be the subject of the proposi- 
tion, whether the speaker, or the person spoken of. 
The verb venire, ought also to be used, when the mo- 
tion, both of the speaker, and the party addressed, is 
directed equally to the same term, provided that the 
one person only be the subject of the sentence, as in 
the fourth example ; for, the fifth shows that andare 
is to be used, if the subject be represented by both 
parties. If the fourth example were, therefore, ex- 



221 

pressed thus, '^ You shall go along with me/' the 
translation would be, Voi ne verrete con me. 

II. 

1 . lo voglio andare a dirgli I will go and tell him to go 

che se ne vada. B. away. 

2. Va, vedi che cosa e questa. Go and see what it is. 

F. 

3. In cotal guisa infino alia So they went, pelting him 

porta San Gallo il ven- all the way, even to the 

nero lapidando. B. gate of St. Gallo. 

4. Andava per li campi cerate She was going through the 

er6e cogliendo. B. fields, gathering certain 

herbs. 

5. Stare leggendo. Crusca. To be reading. 

6. Venivamo ad invitarvi, B. We were going to invite you. 

7. Chi e costui che viene alia Who is that man who is 

volta nostra? F. coming this way ? 

W^hen a verb, expressing motion, in English, is, by 
the conjunction and, joined to another verb in the 
same mood and tense, as in the first example, the 
latter verb must be put in the infinitive in Italian, pre- 
ceded by the preposition a, in order to indicate to 
what purpose we move ; but if the second verb be in 
the present participle, as in the third and fourth, the 
diction of both languages is the same. 

The second example shows that, with regard to the 
former expression, if we command, and are in a hurry, 
we also put the two verbs in the same tense, but 
rather without a conjunctionf . 

The verb stare occasionally supplies to be, placed 
before a verb in the present participle, to denote the 
continuation of an action performed standing, as in 
the fifth example ; but the expressions, I am reading, 

+ By dropping the conjunction, says Blair, in his Lectures on Rhetoric 
we mark a closer connexion, a quicker succession of objects, than when it 
is inserted between tkem. 



222 

He is talking, Thou art dreaming, &c. are usually ren- 
dered by the simple form of the verb, thus : lo legyo, 
Egli parla, Tu sogni. 

Thus the verb essere cannot be employed as an auxi- 
liary of the verbs andare and venire, according to the 
English idiom, to express actual motion. They in- 
dicate this idea by themselves, as apjjears from the 
sixth and seventh examples, by the present and im- 
perfect tenses of the indicative. 

III. 

1. Non mi fare ora andare Do not oblige me to go home 

insino a easa. B. now. 

2. Egli mi conviene andar I must go on Saturday to 

sabato a Firen^e, a far Florence, to get my wheel 

racco7iciare il filatoio mended. 

mio. B. 

3. Fecegli trarre il capofuo- He ordered him to put his 

ri. B. head out. 

4. ¥siYottelofare. F. I will get it done for thee. 

5. Vorrei che mel faceste ras-- I wish you would have it 

settare. arranged for me. 

6. Gli dissi che come Jigliuo- I desired him to own me as 

la mi ricevesse, B. his daughter. 

In all the above, and similar English idioms, the 
verbs to get, to desire, to have, to cause, to order, to 
oblige, are translated into Italian by the verb fare; 
and if the following verb be in the participle, as in 
the fourth and fifth examples, the verbs mended, done, 
and arranged, it ought then to be put in the infinitive 
in Italian. We have also to observe, that the verbs 
depending upon fare, should follow it immediately; 
and, as appears from the last example, that the 
verb dire sometimes supplies to desire; in which 
case, the verb depending upon dire must be put in the 
subjunctive. 



228 



IV. 

1. Ilcastaldoglidie' daman' The steward willing-ly gave 

giar volentieri. B. him something to eat. 

2. Egli vi da a mangiare He gives you these nut-galls 

quests galle. B. to eat. 

3. Faceva dar here alia bri- He provided the company 

gata. B. with drink. 

If the object of the verb to give, followed by an 
infinitive, be something, any thing, or matter, these 
words are omitted in Italian, and the preposition da 
supplies the place of to; if the object be a specified 
thing, as in the second example, galle, the preposition 
to, is supplied by a. 

The idea conveyed by the expressions, dare da 
mangiare, dare da here, is, dare (cosa) da (cui si 
tolga il) mangiare, dare (cosa) da (cui si tolga il) here; 
the preposition da, therefore, is intended to denote 
the thing from which we take food or drink. In the 
expressions, dare a mangiare, dare a here, the prepo- 
sition a is employed, to design to what purpose the 
mind of him who gives something to another, tends. 

This definition is given to demonstrate that it is on 
account of the two different ideas which the Italians 
express (viz. the proceeding from, and the tending to), 
that they use two prepositions, marking two direc- 
tions quite contrary to one another; whilst the English 
express both with the sign of tendency. 

V. 

1. A voi sta omai il prender It is for you now to make a 

partito. B. resolution. 

2. A lui toccava il dover dire. It was his turn to relate. 

B. 

S. S' aspettava a me. F. It concerned me. 

4. A me omai appartiene di It is now my turn to relate. 

rao^ionare. B. 



224 

The verbs stare, to stand, and toccare, to touch, are 
employed in the two former examples in a metapho- 
rical sense. The expressions, It is for you, It is your 
turn, according to the Italian idea, show something, 
as it were, standing with tendency towards a person, 
something touching him ; we render, therefore, those 
expressions by stare a, and ioccare a. 

The verb aspettare, of the third example, is also 
figuratively used in the sense of, to belong, to con- 
cern. We say, Questa cosa s' aspetta \_e aspettata} a 
lui, pointing out, by the preposition a, the person to 
whom we assign either a duty or a business, rather 
than, Questa cosa s' aspetta da lui, as the nature of the 
verb aspettare seems to require, because there would 
be ambiguity in the latter expression, which might 
signify. It is his task, as well as, He expects it, I say 
that aspettare is used in the sense of to concern; for 
when we expect something to be performed by a per- 
son, we assign it him as a duty, and it therefore con- 
cerns him. 

The verb appartenere is used, like the three above- 
mentioned, to express, to concern, to belong, to be 
one's turn, business, or duty. 

VI. 

1. Egli nonfa caldo veruno. It is not warm at all. 

B. 

2. Egli il domandb come star He inquired of him how he 

gli pareva dello stomaco. found his stomach. 

B. 

We say, in familiar discourse. Fa caldo, Fafreddo, 
&c. It is warm. It is cold, &c.; lo sto bene, lo sto 
male, &c. I am well, I am ill; but, in the former case, 
we also use essere, if we express the word weather ; 
viz. The weather is cold, is warm; II tempo efreddo, 
e caldo. 



225 



EXERCISE XX. 

1. He ordered one of his servants to g-ive him 

comandare* — — — famigliare che * — 

something* to eat. 
* * 

2. The weather being- warm, many parties of ladies 
(2) (3) (1) — — h7ngata — donna 

and g-entlemen went to divert themselves on the 

— * cavaliere — * diportare — a — 

sea - shore. 

— * liti 

3. She went seeking* what she would not have liked to 

(2) *(1) — — — — volere 

find. 

4. He sent to apprize the lady, that, on the following day 

— * dire * — donna — — seguente — 

she must expect him to dine. 
attendere — — desinare 

5. Come and cover me up well ; for I feel 

— * — — — che — sentirsi 
extremely ill. 

un gran male 

6. I should be well enough, were I out of 
ame parrebbe * — se (2) (1) fuori — 

his clutches. 

— mano 

7. I think we should go and look for it 
a me parrebbe che — — * cercare 

without delay. 
senza star piu 

8. Since you are so kind as to visit this little house 

poiM siete degnato — — — (etta) — 

of ours, to which we were going to invite you, we 

« * 

will show you a pretty thing. 
volere — cosetta 

G g 



226 

9. Go alon^ with me as far as the court of justice; for 
* — — infino a palagio che 

I wish to show you the oddest fig-ure that you 
— volere — — — * nuovo squasimodeo — — 
ever saw. 
(2) (1) 

10. For this reason she has not been able to come to you. 

— questo — * — — 0* — — 

11. He had a most beautiful and rich bed put up in a 

— * — ieZZot — — — fare 

grand hall, and had two pillows put upon 

— sala — * (4) guanciale(5) por(2^ suso(S) 

it, suitable to such a bed. 
vi{}) quali a si fatto letto si richiedeano 

12. He was afraid, lest he should mistake the road J, and 

temere * * venire smarrito — via — 

so come to a place where he should not so 
quinci pote7'e * * — parte — (3) (1) 

easily find any thing- to eat. 
tosto(2) — * * — 

13. He went and hid himself in a place where he 

— — * nascondere — parte che — 

might see what passed. 
potere* — — si facesse 

14. I inform you, on his part, that he will do 

— fare assapere — per — — — — — 

as much as is expected from him. 

— — aspettarsi* * — 

15. He had desired all the furniture to be broug-ht into a 

— * arnesi venire — — 

room, and /all the horses\ to be led /into a 
sola — \— — — /(2) \ 

court-yard which was under it.\ 
corte — — di sotto a *'^(1) 

t We omitted mentioning, with respect to superlatives, that, when the 
word most is not preceded by the article they it is rendered by adding the 
termination issimn to the adjective. 

X This word is the subject in Italian, and governs the verbs venire smar- 
rito: but the following verb cume, is governed, as in English, by the pro- 
noun. See the last paragraph of Rule Second, on the Subjunctive, in the 
preceding Chapter. 



227 

16. (Thou) g*o, and return it to him directly. 

— * rendere — * tosto 

17. It is for you to find a way for the preservation of your 
* * — il — scampo — — 

life and mine. 



18. He had provided a magnificent entertainment. 

— * magnificamente apprestar da mangiare 

19. Your husband will come the following- day to beg 

— — * — seguente giorno — dimandar 

your pardon ; and from that time forth, he will 
vi merce — — questa ora innansi — 

leave you no more. 
(3) (2) (1) mai piu 

20. I will go and get the table set out. 
•— — * * — — mettere 

21.1 would not have this trouble at present, had I not 
— — _ (3) cum(4) al(l) (2) se 

meddled in those affairs which did not concern 
m'intrametteva — — faccenda — — * 

me. 



22. I resolved to go and see the magnificence of 

diliberare — voter e — * — — — — 

this abbot. 



23. Now it is your turn to command. 
omai * * — 

24. I will get every thing done for her which she desires. 
— * tutto quel — le — — volere 

25. Were you not told in what manner you should have 

* * * 

this supper dressed ? 

— — fare 

26. This novel afforded some matter for the ladies to 

— — dare un poco * a (3) (4) * ( I ) 

murmur at, and for the young men to laugh at. 
(2) - (3) (4) (1) (2) 

Gg2 



228 

27. Do not trouble thyself on my account, for I am very 

— triholar * — di * che — * 

well. 

28. We are merchants from Cyprus, and are going upon 
— — mercatante Cipriano — * per 
our affairs to Paris. 

— bisogna — — 

29. Having saluted him, he asked (him) whither he 

far motto * — il — — 

was going. 

30. He desired him to go to her on his part, and signify to 

Q « * * * 

her, that he would certainly /go and visit her\ 

— — sensafallo\* * — /(2) 

/that day\ 
U I) (I) 



CHAP. XXV. 

RESPECTING WORDS CALLED PREPOSITIONS. 

There are certain words called prepositions, as 
dinanzi, before ; dietro, behind ; vicino, near ; lontano, 
far, &c. which are employed to represent different 
places with regard to an object; and are therefore 
usually followed by one of the prepositions already 
treated of, a, di, da, &c. indicating the relation be- 
tween the object and the place ; as may be seen from 
the following examples. 

I. 

1. E non mi si partia di- And she would not depart 

nansi al volto. D. from before me. 

2. Egli era poco fa qui di- He was here just now before 

nansi da noi, B. us. 

3. Domandavano a ciascuno They entreated every one 

che dinanzi loro si pa- placed before them to 

rava, che loro luogo fa- give way. 

cesse, B. 



229 

Between the place represented by the word dinanzi, 
and the object to which it refers, there is an interval : 
there are consequently two points, namely, the point 
from which distance commences, and the point to 
which such distance tends. Now, we may consider, at 
our pleasure, the object, either as the former or the 
latter term, according to the idea which we intend to 
express; and it is for this reason that, in the first exam- 
ple, the word dinanzi is followed by the preposition a, 
and in the second by da. The former is more em- 
ployed than the latter, especially in familiar discourse. 

As appears from the third example, the preposition 
may be omitted after the word dinanzi. 

11. 

1. Assai vicino stava alia He was very near to the little 

torricella. B, tower. 

2. E una villa assai vicina di It is a villag-e very near this 

qui. B. place. 

3. Non guari Ionian di qui e Not far from hence lives a 

un santo uomo. B. holy man. 

4. Si rimase hen venti miglia He stopped about twenty 

lontano ad essa. B. miles from the city. 

5. EraVuno daW altrolon- They lived about ten miles 

tano hen died miglia. B. apart. 

The word vicino, expresses tendency of one place 
to another ; and it is therefore followed by the prepo- 
sition a, as we see in the first example ; the word lon- 
tano represents the idea of one object removing, as it 
were, from another; and it is therefore followed by 
the preposition da, as in the fifth example. 

By the second and third we learn, that these two 
words may also be followed by the preposition di. 
The reason is, that it is sufficient to qualify the place 
with which we establish a relation of distance, to show 



230 

that it represents the point at which this distance 
either commences or terminates. The words al luogo, 
are understood after vicina, and dal luogo, after Ionian. 

The distance is always relative ; namely, an object 
may be considered as being near, with reference to one 
place, and distant, as regards another. Hence it is, 
that, as appears from the fourth example, the word 
lontano, may also be followed by the preposition a. 
In that case, we point to the place from which the 
object is distant; and the words lontano a, imply /«r, 
with regard to ; as we see, from the second example, 
the words vicino and lontano, change their termination 
according to the word that they modify. 

The above explanations suffice to show why these 
words are followed sometimes by one, and sometimes 
by another preposition. The prepositions placed, in 
the following table, between parentheses, are those 
which may be used with the word preceding them. 
That which comes first, is the more usual. The 0, 
signifies that the preposition may be omitted. 

III. 

1. L'un gridd da lungi. D. One cried out at a distance. 

2. Di lungi v' eravamo an- We were still at some dis- 

cora un poco. D, tance. 

3. La risposta far em not a We will make answer to Chi- 

Chironcostddipresso. D. ron there, near you. 

Agreeably to the first example, we say. Da vicino, 
Da presso, Da lungi, Da lontano. As appears from the 
second and third, the preposition di is also affixed to 
those words ; da is, however, preferable in prose. 

Accanto (a, 0), - beside, by the side of. 

Addosso (a), - on one's back. 

Appetto (a), - against. 



231 



Appu (di), 


at the foot. 


Appresso (a, di, 0), 


near. 


Attorno (a), 


around, about. 


Avanti (a, di, 0, da), 


before. 


Circa (0, di, a). 


about, round. 


Contra (di, 0, a), - \ 
Contro (a, di, 0), - J 


> ag-ainst. 


Dallato (a), 


by the side. 


Dattorno (a, di), 


around, about. 


Davanti (a, di), 


before. 


Denlro (a, 0, di, da), 


in, into, within. 


Dietro (a, da). 


behind. 


Dinanzi (a, 0, di, da) 


, before. 


Dirimpetto (a, di, 0), 


opposite. 


Fino (a, in, da). 


till. 


Fuori (di, da), 


out, without. 


A f route (di, a). 


opposite. 


Incontra (0, a), -] 
Incontro (a, 0), - \ 


\ against. 


Indosso, (a). 


on one's back. 


Infino, or insino (a, in, \ 
0,di,da), -\ 


[ till, until. 


Innansi (a, OJ, 


before. 


Intorno (a, 0, di, da), 


around, about. 


Lontano (da, di, a), 


far. 


Lungi (da, di). 


far. 


Lungo fO, a, di), - 


along-, by. 


Oltre(a,di,0), 


beyond. 


Presso (a, di, 0, da). 


near, by. 


Rispetto fa, di). 


with regard. 


Sino fin, 0, di, da). 


till, until. 


Sopra (di, a,0). 


on, upon. 


Sotto (di, a, 0), 


under. 


Su (di,per,0). 


on, upon. 


Verso (0, di, a). 


towards. 


Vicino (a, di), 


near. 



g32 

CHAP. XXVI. 

OF ADVERBS. 

Adverbs are so styled, because they are always 
added to verbs, either to modify them, as Lavora 
molto, He works very much ; Scrive poco, He writes 
little ; Serve fedelmentey He serves faithfully ; Canta 
dolcemente, He sings sweetly; or to indicate some 
relative circumstance ; as Verrd Id, I will go there ; 
Dico di no, I say no; Nolfaro mai, Never will I do it; 
and, as that circumstance may refer to place, nega- 
tion, time, &c. as we see from the above words, Id,, no, 
mai, hence arise the different classes under which they 

are arranged. 

I. 

1. Col consentimento de^li With the consent of the 

altri, lietamente la gra- others, she willingly grant- 

zia lifece. B. ed him the favour. 

2. Cosi il magnanimo re Thus behaved the generous 

operb, se medesimo for- king, strongly subduing 

temente vincendo. B. his own desires. 

g. Umilmente perdono vi do- I humbly beg your forgive- 
mando del f alio mio. B. ness for my fault. 

4. Per quella assai legger-. By the help of it, he easily 
mente se ne sail. B. climbed over. 

The adverbs ending in mente, which modify the verb 
with regard to manner or quality, are formed by unit- 
ing the adjective to the word mente\', which word 

t ** The Italians have taken the word mente from the Celtic ment, which 
signifies manner; and have joined the adjective to this word, to form the 
expression Con forte mente. In a strong manner ; Con hrusca mente, In a 
harsh manner ; which they have reduced to the greatest simplicity by the 
ellipsis of the preposition, and by uniting the adjective to the word." — 
Biagioli. 



233 

being feminine, the adjective takes also the termina- 
tion of that gender, as in the first example. The 
termination of the adjective in e, being suitable to 
the masculine as well as to the feminine, it does not 
change when joined to the word mente, as appears in 
the second example. If the adjective end either in le 
or re, its last vowel must be cut off, as we see in the 
third and fourth examples. 

IL 

1. lo non posso piu ritor- I can return hither no more. 

narci. B. 

2. Venite qua. B. Come hither. 

3. Chi vi porto costd ? B. Who brought you thither ? 

4. Niuna persona vi pub No one may enter there. 

entrare. B. 

5. Questa gente tutta rimira All these people look there. 

Id. D. 

6. Quivi trovd un giovane He found there a young pea- 

lavoratore. B. sant. 

As we have already said in another Chapter, the 
adverbs, here or hither, and there or thither, are trans- 
lated by ci and vi, when, as in the first and fourth 
examples, no force depends upon the adverb ; and 
are translated by qui or qu^, and quivi or Ici, when the 
adverb, representing, as in the second, third, and sixth 
examples, a principal character in the sentence, must 
be uttered with emphasis. 

The adverb costt, or costd, is peculiar to Italian, 
and serves, as in the third example, to represent the 
place where the party addressed is standing. We use 
it also in the epistolary style, to indicate the town or 
the country where our correspondent is living. Many 
Italians make an erroneous application of these ad- 
vcTbs, employing costl and quivi for qui; costd for qud, 

Hh 



2U 



III. 

1. Per avventura mai ricor- Perhaps you have never heard 
dar non mi udiste. B. of me. 

2.Perch^no? B. Why not? 

3. Quando gli avrete detto i When you have told him 

desiderj vostri, egli vi w^hat you desire, he will 

lascerd. B. leave you. 

4. Ora innansi, e ora addie- He was continually looking-, 

tro, e dallato si riguar- now before, then behind, 

dava. B. and on both sides. 

4. Quando le mandava un One day he would send her 

maszuol d'agli freschi, a small bunch of leeks, 

e quando un canestruc- another time a small bas- 

cio di bacelli. B. ket of peas. 

The word mai, as the first example shows, ought to 
be attended with a negative, when it answers to the 
English word never; wherever mai be placed, either 
before or after the verb. 

The second example shows, that when the negative 
not implies a whole sentence, it must be represented 
in Italian by no. In that case, not implies. Should I 
not do it ? 

The verb depending on the words quando and come, 
when, after, mentre, whilst, must be put in the future, 
if, as appears from the third example, an event to 
come is referred to. 

The word ora, used as an adverb, implies, in questa 
ora; the adverb quando signifies, in quel tempo. They 
are sometimes used to indicate different periods of 
time, in which different actions are passing, as we see 
from the fourth and fifth examples ; and in such in- 
stances, instead of saying, in questa ora, in quella ora, 
in quella altra ora, in questo tempo, in quel tempo, in 
quello altro tempo, we repeat the words ora and quando. 



235 



IV. 

1. Purche non mi convenga So 
sempre stare inprigione, 
io son contenta. B. 



long as 1 am not to be a 
prisoner for ever, I am 



more jealous 



content. 

He would be 
than ever. 

It will show you how sacred 
is the force of love. 



2. Sarebbe piu geloso die mat. 

B. 

3. Per quella potrete com- 

prendere quanto sien 
sante leforze d'amore. 
B. 

It is necessary to distinguish between ever, when 
signifying at all times, and ever, when implying at any 
time. In the former instance it is rendered by sempre^ 
according to the first example ; in the latter, agreeably 
to the second example, it is translated by mai. The 
word how, when affixed to an adjective, as we see from 
the third example, is supplied by quanto. 



WORDS USED AS ADVERBS 


Adagio, 


- 


slowly. 


Adesso, 


- 


now. 


Affatto, 


- 


quite, at all. 


Allora, 


- 


then. 


Almeno, almanco, 


- 


at least. 


Alquanto 


- 


some, a little. 


Altrove 


- 


elsewhere. 


Anche, ancora, 


- 


yet, also. 


Appena 


- 


scarcely. 


Appunto, 


- 


just, precisely. 


Assai, 


- 


much, enough. 


Bene, 


- 


well. 


a, . 


- 


here, hither. 


Cold, 


- 


there, thither 


Come, 


- 


how, as, when 


Cost, 


- 


as, so, thus. 


Costa, costi, 


- 


there, thither. 




H 


h2 



236 



Diraani, domani, 


- 


to-morrow. 


Donde, or d'onde 


- 


hence, whence. 


Dopo, 


- 


after. 


Dove, 


- 


where, whither. 


Finora, 


- 


as yet, till now. 


Forse, 


- 


perhaps. 


Gia, 


- 


already, formerly. 


Giu, 


- 


below. 


Indi, 


- 


hence, from thence. 


Insieme, 


- 


tog-ether. 


Intanto, 


- 


in the mean time. 


Invano, 


- 


in vain. 


Ivi, li, Id, 


- 


there, thither. 


Laddove 


- 


whilst. 


Mai, 


- 


ever. 


Meglio, 


- 


better. 


Meno, 


- 


less. 


Mentre, 


- 


while. 


Molto, 


- 


much. 


No, non. 


- 


no, not. 


Oggi, 


- 


to-day. 


Onde, 


- 


hence, whence. 


Ora, 


- 


now. 


Ove, 


- 


where, whither. 


Prima, 


- 


first. 


Peggio, 


- 


worse. 


Pill, 


- 


more. 


Poi, poscia. 


- 


afterwards. 


Poco, 


- 


little, few. 


Qua, qu\, 


- 


here, hither. 


Quando, 


- 


when. 


Quanto, 


. 


how much. 


Quasi, 


. 


almost. 


Quindi, 


- 


hence, from thence. 


Sempre, 


- 


always, ever. 


Si, - - 


- 


yes, so. 



237 



Suvente, 


- 


often. 


Subito, 


- 


soon. 


Tanto, 


- 


so much. 


Tardi, 


- 


late. 


Tosto, 


- 


soon, immediately, 


Troppoy 


- 


too, too much. 


Vi, 


- 


there, thither. 


Volentieri, 


- 


willingly. 



EXERCISE XXI. 

UPON THE TWO PRECEDING CHAPTERS. 

1. When Bruno saw them at a distance, he said to Philippo, 

come — — — * lontanof — — — 
Behold our friends. 
ecco (2) (1) 

2. He dreamed he saw his wife going- through a 
gli parve in sogno * * (2) (1) * — — 

very pleasant grove, not very far from his house. 
bosco assai bello non guari * a - — — 

3. Having met with an usurer, he carried him 

scontrarsi* in — barattiere menare — 
near to the gallery, and there he. showed him the 

* di — loggia — in quella — — — 
knight. 

4. Since we have been here, I have desired to lead 
poi che — fummo * — — — — menare 

you to a spot very near this. 
— in — parte assai * di — luogo 

5. I wish to have in the month of January, which is now 
— volere — di — — — — — * 

coming, a garden, near this town, full of green 

venire (5) (6) (1) di{2) (3) (4) — 

herbs, flowers, and leafy trees. 
— — — fronzuto albero 

t The words, vicino, lonianoy dinanzi, diefro, &c. and the following, a, di, 
day &c. are equally called prepositions y from the Latin prepositionesy which 
signifies positions before; because both are placed before an object ; but yet 
their force and office are very diflPerent. The former are somewhat signifi- 
cant of themselves ; the latter, only by relation ; — the former indicate and 
represent a place ; the latter serve only to point out how one object stands 
with regard to another. 



2'3S 

6. I found an excellent physician, who has cured me 
— — — valente medico — — guarire — 

entirely. 
ottimo* 

7. In a very short time, he built one of the 
piccolo spazio di tempo far fare — — — 

most beautiful and rich palaces that had ever been 

— bello — * — palagio — — * — 

seen. 

8. Being" already advanced in years, it happened that his 

— * d'annipieno avvenire — — 

renov^^n reached the ears of a young* g-entleman 

fama pervenire a — orecchio — 

named Mithridanes, of a country not far from 

chiamare Mitridanes paese non guari * a 

his. 

9. You may see, about half a mile from hence, a 

— — — forse — — — vicin di qui — 

grove: there you may easily meet with him. 
boschetto * leggier cosavifia il trovare — 

10. Then you did ill ; first to listen, and afterwards 
adunque(2) (3) (1) * ad ascoltare — * 

to covenant. 

— pattovire 

11. Do not stain with so foul a blot, what you 
non vogliate guastare — sifatto macchia — — 

have gloriously acquired. 

— glorioso * — 

12. After they had stayed some time with her, they 
poi che * stare * — — 

returned home. 
tornarsene * — 

13. I will send him with you ; and he shall bring you to a 
— — — — — — — condu7're — in — 

place where you will meet with very 
parte * — albergare assai 

convenient accommodations. 
convenevole * 



239 

14. How far are we from our country? 

* di lungi (3) (^l) (2) * — contrade 

15. When thou bast repeated certain words, two of the 

come * dire — — (4) (6) 

most beautiful young- ladies that thou ever sawest, 
(7) (8) (5) (9) (10) (12)* (11)* 

will come to thee. 
(1) (2) (3) 

16. I saw you seat yourself there where you are. 

— porre — * * — — 

17. You shall endeavour that he may come hither 

fare — (2) venirsene (4) * (3) 

to-morrow. 

*(i) 

18. What is he doing- there (near you)? Why is he 

— * — — * perchc starsi — 

riot in his own place? 
(2) luogo(l) 

19. There he bore his distress patiently. 

* comportare (A) (2) povertd (3) * (1) 

20. Certainly my crime will be known ; but as for 

bene (^5) (1) peccato (2) * (3) sapere {4) — 

thine, be assured, unless thou tell it thyself, 
(3) (I) certoche(2) se — nondirai il* 

it never shall (be known). 
* (2) sapere * (1) 

21. Having called Jeannot secretly 

fare (I) venir (4) GiannoUo(6) * (3) 

before him, he examined him particularly with 
dinarasi (5) * (2) — — pai^tito * 

reg-ard to his past life. 
di — ~ — 

22. Weak as she was, she began to call first one, and 
cost debole — — — — — * — — 

then another, of her attendants. 

* — — — famiglia 

23. He resolved to depart from thence without 
deliberare{Q) (7) partirsi (8) * (5) (I) 
touching any thing. 

(2) (3) (4) 



240 

24. She arose, and entered there, whence the gfoat had 
— levarsi — (2) * (1) * — cavriuola * 
come, and beheld two young kids. 

uscire — vedere vi — cavriuolo 

25. Going- nearer to the girl, he began softly to comfort 
farsi^ — * — - giovane — piano "^ — — 

her, desiring her not to weep. 

— e pregare — * — piangere 

26. These fellows have forced me in here to deceive 

* — fare — entrare — — — 

me ; for when I have given them every thing, 

— percib die come — * — — — — 
and am endeavouring to get out of the tomb, they 

— penare * ad uscir — — area — 

will run away. 
andarsi pe' fatti suoi 

27. When you hear the little bells ring, come here. 

* udire"^ (2) * (3) (0 — * 

28. If it please you to proceed (thither), I doubt not but 
— — — — venire * — — — * 

you will be much gratified at having been there. 
* contentissimo * — — * 



CHAP. XXVII. 
OF CONJUNCTIONS. 



I. 

1. ^e io nonvado,io sard tutta If I do not go, 1 shall be ex 

sera aspettato. B. pected all the evening. 

2. Se tu ti parti, io sensa al If thou departest, I shall in- 

cunfallo m' uccidero. B. fallibly kill myself. 

3. Voglion vedere se V animo They are willing to try if thy 

tuo si muta da quello che soul will change from 

era, B. what it was. 

4. Se egli vi dorrd troppo, vi If it give you too much pain,. 

lascero incontayicnte. B. I will immediately let you 

loose. 



I 



241 



A verb in the indicative mood, preceded by the con- 
junction if, is sometimes put in the present tense in 
Italian, and sometimes in the future. We use the pre- 
sent, either to express an action which, if performed, 
should happen in the present period of time, as in the 
first example; or to indicate, as in the second, an inci- 
dent which, through our wishes or fears, we represent 
to our imagination as imminent. In the third ex- 
ample, a trial of the character of a person already 
under examination, is spoken of; and therefore the 
verb miitare, is employed in the present. But when 
we speak either of an action to be performed at a 
future time, or of an event to come, as in the fourth 
example, without any counteracting circumstance, the 
verb ought then to be put in the future. 



II. 



1. Se to potessi parlare al re, 

io gli darei un consiglio. 
B. 

2. Se io faceva il dehito mio, 

guesto non mi interve- 
niva. F. 

3. Se egli non si fosse bene 

attenuto, egli sarebhe in- 
fin nelfondo caduto. B. 

4. Se tu ti aprivi meco, io ti 

erafedele allora. F. 

5. Io volentieri, quando vi 

piacesse, mi starei, B. 

6. II giovane disse che, dove 

esser potesse, egli non 
voleva esser veduto ne 
conosciuto. B. 

7. Io mi sono r attemper ala, 

ne ho volutofare nt dire 
cosa alcuna. B. 



Could I speak to the king-, I 
would give him advice. 

If I had performed my duty, 
this would not have hap- 
pened. 

Had he not held fast, he 
would have fallen to the 
bottom. 

If you were then candid with 
me, I was faithful to you. 

I should willingly, if you 
please, remain as I am. 

The young man replied, that, 
if it were possible, he 
wished neither to be seen 
nor known. 

I kept my temper; nor would 
1 do or say any thing. 



In English, the expressions, Could I speak, Should it 

I i 



242 

please God, Had he come, &c. are equivalent to the 
following : If I could speak, If it should please God, If 
he had come. In Italian, the former are used only 
in exclamations; in every other case, the latter are 
employed. 

If the verbs depending upon the conjunction se, ex- 
press a past time, we may either put them both in the 
imperfect of the indicative, as in the second example, 
or make use of the above-mentioned form, by employ- 
ing the subjunctive for the former verb, and the condi- 
tional for the latter, as in the third example. 

When the verbs depending on the conjunction se, 
denote actions which really happened, as in the fourth 
example, they must always be put in the imperfect of 
the indicative. This is invariably the case when after 
the conjunction if, the words, as it was indeed, may 
be supplied; for instance, if, as it was indeed, you 
were, &c. 

Observe, that the conjunction se, implies nel caso in 
che; the word quando, implies nel tempo in che; the 
adverb dove, where, nel luogo in che. By virtue of the 
analogy existing between a case, and the time and 
place in which it happens, these three forms may be 
substituted for one another ; and therefore the words 
quando and dove, may supply the conjunction se, as 
appears from the fifth and sixth examples ; with this 
difference, that the verbs depending on quando and 
dove, used in this sense, ought always to be put in 
the conjunctive. Hence arises the double denomina- 
tion of adverb and conjunction, sometimes applied to 
one word. 

As we have already observed in page 79, if any 
word implying a negative, be placed after the verb, 
the same verb must be preceded in Italian by the 



243 

particle tion, as in the case of the conjunction ne, which 
implies e non, as we perceive by the sixth example. 
With regard to this word, it is worthy of remark, that 
when the conjunctions or, and, are preceded by a ne- 
gative, as in the seventh example, they must be trans- 
lated in Italian by ne; because, in that instance, the 
two sentences being connected by virtue of the implied 
conjunction e (the office of which is to consolidate 
sentences into one continuous whole), they do not form 
an affirmative, as might erroneously be stated. In the 
last example we may with equal propriety say, E non 

Jio vobitofare ne dire. 

III. 

1. Non c'era altra via che There was no other way but 

questa. D. this. 

2. lo non fo altro die Jilare I do nothing but spin, night 

notte e di. B. and day. 

3. Non fa alcuno che non There was no one but com- 

commendasse la sua no- mended her novel, 

vella. B. 

Whatever be the translation given by dictionaries, of 
the word hut, it has no other meaning than that of the 
conjunction ma. To support my assertion, T shall here 
analyze the above expressions — '* There was no other 
way but (there was only one, which is) this," Non cera 
ultra via (ma ce nera una sola) che (e) questa. " I do 
nothing else, night and day, but (I do this, that is) to 
spin,'' lo non fo altro notte e di (ma fo questo) che (e) 
filare. " There was nobody (who did not commend 
her novel), but every one commended her novel," Non 
fu alcuno che non commendasse la sua novella (ma 
ognuno la commendo). From this analysis we perceive 
that, in translating such sentences into Italian, in the 
first instance we understand the conjunction ma, and 
supply it with the conjunctive adjective che, under- 

ii2 



244 

stood in the English, as in the first and second exam- 
ples ; in the second case, we omit the whole affirma- 
tive proposition expressed in English, and, vice versa, 
we apply the negative expression, which the English 
understand, as in the third example. The simple 
rule is obtained as follows : When but is in opposition 
to one word only, as in the two former examples, way 
and nothing, that conjunction is translated by che; 
when it is in opposition to a whole sentence, as in the 
third, there ivas none who did not commend, it is trans- 
lated by che non, and the following verb is put in the 
conjunctive. Tn the former case, the conjunctive che 
must be preceded by altro. We say also, " Non c'era 
se non questa via; non faceva se non filare." 

IV. 

1. Quando la non mi par esse Though I should not find her 

bella, me ne contenterei. beautiful, I would be con- 

F. tented. 

2. PercM egli pure il volesse, Though he would, he could 

egli nol potrehbe ridire. not tell it. 

B. 

3. Accio che intendiate come In order that you may know 

questo avvenuto mi sia, how it happened, I will 

brievemente vel faro make it plain to you in a 

chiaro. B. few words. 

The verb governed by the conjunctions, quando 
anche, quando ancora, quando bene, as well as quando 
and perche, used in the same sense, must always be 
put in the subjunctive. 

Almost every conjunction being formed by the ad- 
dition of the particle che, to one or two other words, 
as, affinche [a fine che], in order that; acciocche [a cid 
che], that ; benche [bene che], though ; poiche [poi che], 
since; purche [pure che], provided that; we will there- 
fore show, by the analysis of the following examples^ 



245 

taken from Boccaccio, that the word che is nothing 
more than the conjunctive adjective che, which. 

1 . Sentendo gid che i solar raggi si riscaldavano, vei^so la 

loro stansa volsero i passi; When they felt that the 
heat grew intense, they retreated to their former sta- 
tion. — Analysis: Sentendo gid (questo) che (e) i solar 
raggi, &c. 

2. Piu che altro uomo si potea contentare ; He could be more 

satisfied (with fortune) than any other man. — Analysis: 
Si potea contentare piu (in comparazione di quello) che 
(ogni) altro uomo (si pntesse contentare). 

3,. Press per partito, che che avvenir ne dovesse, di rapir 
Cassandra; He resolved, happen what would, to bear 
away Cassandra. — Analysis : (Per) che (unque) \_quale 
unque, qualunque^ (cosa) che avvenir ne dovesse, &c. 

4. Se io potessi parlare al re, e' mi da it cuore che io gli 
darei un consiglio, per Io quale egli vincerehbe la guerra 
sua ; Could 1 speak to the king-, I dare say that I could 
g-ive him such counsel as would assure him of victory. — _ 
Analysis : II cuore mi del (laforza di dirgli questo) che 
(e) io gli darei un consiglio, &c. 

$. Quando la giovane it vide, presso fu che di letizia non 
morl ; As soon as the young* lady saw him, she was 
almost overcome with joy. — Analysis: Presso fu (al 
punto in) che (per eccesso) di letizia (morisse, ma) non 
mori, 

6. Poiche cost e, che Pietro tu non sai, tu dimorerai qui 

meco; As it happens that you know not where Peter is, 
you shall abide with me. — Analysis: Poiche cosi e, 
(intendo di dire questo) che (^) tu non sai (dove sia) 
Pietro, &c. 

7. Non suole essere usansa che, andando verso la state, le 

nottisi vadan rinfrescando ; The nights are not used to 
grow cooler, the more the summer advances. — Analysis: 
Non suole essere (qucsla) usansa che (e) le notti, &c. 



246 



1. Quantunque cessata sia la Though my suffering's have 

pena, non per cid e la ceased, 1 have not lost 

memoria fuggita de' be- remembrance of the kind- 

neficj ricevuti. B. nesses 1 have received. 

2. Convenne che tuttoilgiorno All that day he v^as kept so, 

cost fosse tenuto, accib that every one might see 

che da tutti potesse esser and visit him. 
veduto e visitato. B. 

3. Poichb voi di questo mi Since you make me easy in 

fate sicuro, e to il vi this, 1 will speak out. 
dird. B. 

4. Non dite leggier cosa, che Do not call it a small matter ; 

la Domenica t troppo da Sunday is a day much to 

onorare, B. be reverenced. 



According to the first and second examples, a verb 
depending upon those conjunctions which imply doubt, 
as, quantunque, benche, comeche, ancora che, although; 
— those signifying purpose, as, accio che, affinche, si 
che, in order that; purche, provided that; — or uncer- 
tainty, as, prima che, before ; infino a che, till, &c. 
must be put in the conjunctive mood, for the reasons 
adduced in Chapter XXIII. Conjunctions denoting 
certainty, as, poiche, since ; percio che, for, lite those 
of the third and fourth examples, do not require the 
subjunctive. Benche and sebbene, although, govern 
sometimes the indicative. In the fourth example, the 
words per cid are understood before cfie, where it is to 
be remarked, that the conjunction for, corresponding 
with the Italian per cid che, is often omitted. It must 
then be supplied in Italian. 



247 



VI. 

1. Vi prego che voi f acetate I be^ you would take care 

ch' egli a me vegna. B. that it may be broug-ht to 

me. 

2. Tornando addietro coman- Turning- back, he ordered the 

do che la camera fosse room to be shut ag-ain. 

serrata. B. 

Sometimes the conjunctive adjective that, is under- 
stood in English, as in the first example, after the 
verb beg; in which case it must be supplied in Italian 
after those verbs which, as stated in Chapter XXIII. 
require the subjunctive mood. When, in English, 
such a verb is followed by another in the infinitive, 
as, in the second example, the verb ordered is fol- 
lowed by the infinitive to be, if the conjunction che is 
supplied in the Exercises under the preposition to, 
the verb depending upon it ought to be put in the sub- 
junctive. On the contrary, when a is under that, 
followed by a verb in the subjunctive, that verb must 
be in the infinitive in Italian, for the reason given in 
the last section of the same Chapter XXIII. 

VII. 

l.Chialloravedutigliavesse, Whoever had seen them at 
malagevolmente avrehhe that time, could scarcely 

potuto conoscere chi piu know whether there was 

si fosse morto, a V arci- more life in one than in 

vescovo egli. B. the other. 

2. II comincid a domandare He asked him whether he 
se egli mai avesse pec- had ever sinned, 

cato, B. 

It is sufficient to remark, in the first example, that 
the Italians repeat the conjunction o, when they put 
two objects or persons in opposition in that manner. 
From the second, we perceive that the conjunction 
whether is rendered by se. 



24S 

CHAP. XXVIII. 
OF INTERJECTIONS. 



1. Oimb, malvagio uomo ! tu O, thou wicked man! thou 

m' hai diserto! B. hast undone me ! 

2. Deh! pud egli essere! B. Oh ! is it possible ! 

3. Deh! fallo, se ti cat di If thou hast any reg-ard for 

me! B. me, pray, do ! 

The personal noun, referring to the person whom 
we sometimes address in exclamations, although ex- 
pressed in English, as in the first example, is never 
translated in Italian. 

The word deh is sometimes used as a sign of wonder, 
as in the second example, and is occasionally em- 
ployed to excite pity, or, as an entreaty, to obtain 
favor, as in the third example. In the latter case, it 
is almost equivalent to the English word pray. 

11. 

1. Cost non fossi io mai in Would to God I had never 

questa terra venuto! B. come into this country! 

2. Oimhl misera me! a cui Alas I miserable! whom have 

ho io portato amore! B. I loved ! 

3. Felice te! che si parli a How happy art thou, who 

tua postal D. canst speak so freely ! 

The comparative particle cost, when used in excla- 
mation, presents one of the most difficult idioms of 
our language, and which the student will be able to 
comprehend only by analysis. The particle cost, and its 
dependent proposition, constitute, in such instances, 
the second part of a comparison, which we express in 



249 

support of a preceding assertion; and the first part of 
the comparison is omitted. Tn the first example, the 
assertion of the speaker is, that it was the first time 
he came into the country, where he met with an un- 
pleasant accident ; and therefore the entire construc- 
tion is, (Come e vero die io non ci fid piu che questa 
volta) cost (veramente, vorrei eke J non fossi io mai in 
questa terra venuto! Thus, in the following example 
from Boccaccio — Vedi hel ciottolo; cost giugnesse egli 
nelle rent a Calandrino: You see the fine pebble 3 I 
would it could reach the back of Calandrino — the first 
part of the comparison is. Come ^ vero che egli ^ hello. 

The entire construction of the expressions of the 
scond and third examples are, (Io chiamo) me misera; 
(Io chiamo) te felice; in which we see that the per- 
sonal nouns, me, te, represent the object of the verb 
understood, 

The other interjections, given in the following table, 
are not subject to any difference of syntax from the 
English. 



Ah I 


- 


ahl 




Eia! 


- 


well! 


Ahi! 


- 


ah! 




Hui! 


- 


ah! oh! 


Ahime! 


- 


alas 


1 


Oh! 


_ 


oh! 


Ahi, lasso! 


- 


alas 


1 


Oh! oh! - 


- 


oh! oh! 


Deh ! 


- 


hat 


pray! 


Oibd! 


- 


fie! 


Dohl 


- 


oh! 




Oime! 


- 


alas! 


El 


- 


ah! 




Pu! 


- 


fie! 


Eh! 


- 


ah! 




Uh! 


- 


ah! 


Ehi! 


- 


ah! 











Kk 



250 



WORDS USED AS INTERJECTIONS. 



bravo ! 



Bravo t bravi! l 
Brava! brave! S 
Buonol - - right! 
Guai ! - - woe to ! 
Guar da! - take care! 

Ola ! - - oh, there ! 



Orsu ! 

Sta! 

Su! 

Via! 

Viva ! 

Zitto! 



well! 
hush! 
come on I 
well, g-o, gol 
huzza ! 
silence ! 



EXERCISE XXII. 

UPON THE TWO PRECEDING CHAPTERS. 

1. If I knew how to behave as well as you have 
sapere* operare{Z) (1) (2) — — — 

done, 1 should accept, without too much deliberation, 
sapere — prendere — — — 

what you offer me. 
— a — — 

2. Thoug-h you see me here a scholar of no account, I 
quantunque — * — — — — assai umile — 

am not descended from the dreg-s of the people. 
nascere — — feccia — — popolasso 

3. If I reach Rome, I shall recover her who is 
pervenire * a — — riavere * — — 

mine by rig^ht. 
(2) meritamente (V) 

4. Ah! go, go; oh! do men such things? 



deh andare 



— — cosifatto 



5. Alas ! in how little time have I lost a sister ? 

* — come piccol — — — — 

6. If you approve of my advice, I will keep the crown 
— — * — consiglio — servarsi — — 

till to-morrow morning; but if you should 
per infino — — ove — 

resolve otherwise, I have already before my eyes 
deliberare* — — — — pronto 

whom I must crown with it. 
* — debba — ne 



251 

7. If the laws which regard the g-ood of the community 
quando — — — (4) (1) (2) comune{Z) 

did not teach us this, nature plainly shows 

— ammaestrare* — a — — aperto* — 
it. 
il 

8. What would you have said, had you seen me at 

Bologna ? 

9. Ah! traitors! you are dead men ! it shall never be 

* — — — — ella non andare 

so ; what violence is this ? 
— — forsa — — 

10. Alas! what is the cause of your grief? Pray, tell 

deh — — — cagione — — dolore * dire 

me, my life. 
— Zo(2) anima(\) 

11. Had I this money, I would instantly lend it 

* denari — incontanente (4) (3) (2) 

to you. 

(0 

12. If you find it as I tell you, I beg you will not 
— cost *0 — — volere — 

torture me at the instance of these wicked men. 
straziare — — — malvasio — 



13. Get up, sluggard ; for if thou wishedst to sleep, 
levare — dormiglione che — — volere * dormire 

thou shouldst have gone home, and not come here. 
— doversene * andare a casa tua — — — — 

14. Alas ! quoth the lady, then you have been in want 

* disse — donna dunque — — patire disagio 

of money ? 
— denari 

15. Do you stay here with him: I wish to go and 

— vi rimanete — — — e — volere — * 
see what the doctor will say, and bring him 
sapere — — medico — — * menare(4) (5) 

here, if there be occasion, 
a (6) (1) *(3) bisogno(2) 

Kk2 



252 

16. Pray, my friend, go there, and let me know 

* (2) compagno(^l) — vi — sapere — dire 

how the fact stands. 

— C^) (3) (1) 

17. Ah! thou wicked man! then thou hast thought 

* * malvagio — dunque (3) (1) (2) credere 

that I would do such a thing to my lord ? 

— — volere — questo — fallo — signore 

18. I have here two hundred pounds, with which I 
— — — — — lira di — — 

intended to buy an estate : if they are all necessary, 
volere — — podere — tuttif bisognare * 

take them. 
tutti togliere(2) (1) 

19. If you take pity on me, you will afford me 
ove — volere* aver e — di — — dare — 

very great comfort. 
* consolasione 

20. Thououghtest not to have begun, if thou wouldest not 

— dovere — cominciare * — volere * — 

finish. 

21. Oh! prodigious generosity of Nathan! how wonderful 

* liberalitd — Natan — (3) 

thou art ! 
(2) (I) 

22. Ah ! miserable man ! where, and on what object, dost" 

* misero * — in — 
thou fix thy heart, thy affection, and thy hope ? 

— porre * animo — amore — — — 

23. If you inquire any more about it, we will give you 
domandare* — ne — fare — 

such an answer as you deserve. 
quell — — * vi si conviene 

24. Since you find yourself well, it is time for you to 
poiche — sentire — — — — che 

quit the infirmary. 

uscire di • — 

t In this case, the masculine termination i, agrees with the word denarif 
^inderstoodp 



253 

25. Thoug-h she was a poor woman, yet she was 
ancora che *(3) (1) femmina(2) pure — 

wise and prudent. 
^avio — avveduto 

26. Would they be already willing- to come ! for indeed 

(2) (\) — disposto — — * veramente 

we mig-ht say that fortune is with us. 

— potere — — * favor eggiante (2) (1) 

27. Why dost thou not answer, thou villain? Why dost 

che — — * reo uomo — 

thou not say something-? Art thou struck dumb 
— — — — — diventare mutolo 

with hearing- me ? 
udire — 

28. If he does not desist^ I will acquaint my 
— rimanersene* — * dire — 

husband and my brothers. 
- -(2) (1) 

29. There is not a neighbour but wonders and makes 

— — * maravigliarsi — farsi 

a jest of me, for all the labour I undergo. 
heffe — — di tanto fatica * — durare 

30. He then, laug-hing- at me, said, " Go, thou fool ! 

— allora farsi heffe * — — — * sciocco 

do not be afraid ; here they do not charg-e any thing- 
— duhitare * — * — tener — conto 

for it;'" which gave me some comfort. 

* — — rassicurare (3) (2) alquanto (1) 

:31. If you call to mind your past life, and my resolution, 
— — ricordarsi * di — — — — — , dure^sa 

I doubt not but you will wonder at my presumption, 

— — — • * — maravigliarsi * — — 



254 



CHAP. XXIX. 

RESPECTING THOSE IDIOMS and IRREGULA.RIT1ES 
WHICH ARE MOST FREQUENT IN ITALIAN. 



1. Togliete qual piu vi place. 

B. 

2. Poi die ilforestiere ha be- 

vuto quello che glipiace, 

la sposa bee il rimanente. 

B. 

3. GV increbbe di cib chefatto 

avea, B. 

4. Mi displace d' avervelo a 

dire. F. 



Take which you like the best. 

After the stranger has drunk 
what he pleases, the bride 
drinks the rest. 

He was grieved for what he 
had done. 

I am sorry that I must ac- 
quaint you with it. 



From the lirst example it is to be remarked, that 
the verb to like, when applied to things, is generally 
rendered by piacere; and from the second, that the 
thing pleasing, which is the object in English, becomes 
the subject in Italian; a3 also that the person who is 
pleased is the subject in English, but represents the 
relation of tendency in Italian. From the same differ- 
ence of construction, the two subjects, I and he, of 
the third and fourth examples^ are changed into rela- 
tions of tendency in Italian. The following verbs and 
expressions are subject to the same rule : 
Riuscire, ) . , Blsos:nare, 1 to be neceS" 

rr • /. XX ? to succeed. T-. J' 

Vemrfatto, ) oi^^v^cc.*. jEsserJorza 
Aggradare, 1 to please. Convenire 

Esser a grado, > to like. Gravare, 

Essei^ caro, J to be glad of. 
Esser a noia, 1 to tire. Esser grave, 

Venire a noia, 3 to weary. 

r to think, in the 
Parere, ■? signification 

t of to judge. 



?, 1 to be n 
ta, > sary. 
, jiohQ obli 



obliged. 

to be concern- 
ed at. 

to be displease 
ed with. 



255 



II. 

1. Piove tuttavia. B. It rains still. 

2. Era il di davanti nevicato A great snow had fallen the 

forte. B. day before. 

There are some verbs denoting state, which may 
represent a proposition, without the assistance of any 
other word; the subject being confined to, and implied 
in the verb itself. Such are the two verbs in the above 
examples, piovere and nevicare, with some others: as, 
tonare, to thunder ; lampeggiare, to lighten -, accadere, 
avvenire, to happen, &c. In these instances, the sub- 
ject is confined within the verb, because the expres- 
sions, piove, nevica, avviene, and accade, are equivalent 
to pioggia cade, neve cade, una cosa viene a, una cosa 
cade a; and, therefore, when the pronoun it, which is 
generally understood, is expressed in Italian, it refers 
to the subject implied in the verb. The only differ- 
ence to be remarked in these verbs is — 1. That their 
auxiliary in Italian must always be essere, as appears 
from the second example, although many Italians erro- 
neously make use of avere; — 2. That we cannot make 
a person represent the subject of accadere and awe- 
nire, as in English; for instance, "If I happen to meet 
him, you have no occasion to tell it;" in which case we 
employ the other form, '*If it happen;" Se egli avviene; 
It does not happen; or. There is no occasion for you, 
&c. Non accade che vol lo diciate. 

III. 

1. Tu hai V arsura (sete) Thou art thirsty, and hast the 

e 'I capo che ti duole. D. head-ache. 

2. L'una parte e Vallra Both parties will wish to have 

avranno fame di te» D. thee. 

3. Di che avete paura? F. What are you afraid of? 

There are in these examples, two idioms to be 
noticed. The first, that, to express either the state 



256 

or want of the body, the English employ the verb to 
he, with an adjective ; Italians, the verb avere, with 
a substantive; thus— aver sete, to be thirsty; aver 
fame, to be hungry ; aver freddo, to be cold ; aver 
caldo, to be warm; aver paura, to be afraid, &c.; 
excepting to be angry, which is rendered literally by 
esser adirato. — The second, that, when some part of 
the body labours under pain, we use the verb dolere, 
causing that part to represent the subject, and the 
sufferer the relation of tendency ; namely. Mi duole la 
testa, I have the head-ache; Mi dolgono i denti, I have 
the tooth-ache; Mi dolgono le ossa, My bones ache. 

IV. 

1. Daman sinistra n' app art From the left hand a troop 

una gente d' anime, che of spirits appeared, that 

movienoipie' vernoi. J). moved their feet towards 

us. ^ 

2. Ancora era quel popol di Still were those people far, 

lontano, quando si strin- v/hen they started back 

sertuttia' durimassi.D. all together by the hard 

rocl<s. 

3. Lo mio maestro, ed io, e My master, I, and those peo- 

quella gente di' eran con pie who were with him, 

lui,parevansicontenti.». appeared to be so de- 

D. lighted . . . 

A verb under the immediate dependence of a noun 
expressing multitude, is generally put in the singular 
in Italian, as appears from the forms apparl, of the 
first example, and era, of the second. If, however, a 
second proposition follow the first, the verb, although 
governed by the same agent, is usually put in the 
plural, as shewn by the form strinser, in the second 
example. Moreover, if such a noun be followed by a 
conjunctive adjective, the latter is preferably put in 
the plural, as is evident in this example from Boc- 
caccio : Molta gente ^ ora per lo Mugnone li quali, &c. 
Many people are now abroad on the Mugnone^ who, &c. 



257 

No rule, nevertheless, can properly be grounded upon 
these observations ; for we remark in the third exam- 
ple, that eran and parevano depend upon quella gente, 
a singular noun ; and in the second example, the word 
futti might be accounted for by the plural strinser, 
and not by the reason just given, of there being a se- 
cond proposition. The employing, therefore, in such 
instances, one number in preference to the other, is 
rather a matter of taste, depending very much upon cir- 
cumstances, and upon the idea of plurality or assem- 
blage that the speaker intends to represent. In the first 
example, for instance, by the singular apparl, the poet 
represents the idea of assemblage, as a troop makes 
one general and simultaneous appearance ; but he em- 
ploys the plural movieno in the second proposition, 
because he views them moving their feet in plurality ; 
which idea would not be according to reason if singu- 
larized. It might be supposed that the w ord aniine be- 
ing plural, sufficiently accounted for the pluralization 
of the second verb ; but, were that noun suppressed 
entirely, it would not cause any alteration in the 

second verb. 

V. 

1. Per la morte del padre e By the deaths of his father 

d'un suo zio, senza stima and uncle, he was left im- 

era rimaso ricchissimo. niensely rich. 

B. 

2. Per piu fiate gli occhi ci Several times that which we 

sospinse quella lettura, e were reading, induced us 

scolorocci il viso. D. to look at one another, 

and made our faces turn 

pale. 

S.ConVunghiesifendeacia- Each tore her breast with 
scuna il petto. D. her nails. 

4. A dir di Sardigna le lingue To speak of Sardinia, their 
lor non si sentono stanche. tongues never feel tired. 

D. 

Ll 



258 

The words deaths and faces, are used in the plural 
by the English, as suggesting to them the idea of two 
persons ; whereas, la morte and il viso present to the 
mind of an Italian, the death and face of each indivi- 
dually; viz. of one after the other; those two words, 
therefore, are rendered by the singular in Italian. This 
remark is explained by the third example, in which the 
English likewise use the singular, because the word 
each is expressed ; for it would be equally correct to 
say, Esse sifendeano il petto, They tore their breasts. 

In the fourth example, the author makes use, with 
great effect, of lingue in the plural, to represent to the 
imagination of the reader, the several tongues of those 
individuals all in motion. But, if there be no par- 
ticular intention to the contrary, the noun, in similar 
instances, must be put in the singular in Italian. 

VI. 

1. Tosto die 'I duca ed io nel As soon as my guide and I 

legnofui. D. were in the boat. 

2. Muovasi la Capraia e la Let the hills of Capraia and 

Gorgona, efaccian siepe Gorg-oria remove, and stop 

ad Arno. D. the Arno. 

3. Tra gli altri che meglio Amongst those who fare the 

stanno, siam Buffalmac- best, are Buffalmacco and 

CO ed io. B. I. 

For the reason mentioned in the preceding rule, the 
verbs /wi and muova, of the first and second example, 
are in the singular, notwithstanding there are two 
subjects. The form fu is understood in the first in- 
stance, and muova in the second. The adoption of 
the singular or the plural, with regard to the verb, de- 
pends entirely upon the idea conveyed to the mind. 
In the second example, the werh faccian could not be 
used in the singular, because, although we may con- 
sider the hills as moving one after another, yet our 



259 

imagination views both conjointly stopping the river 
Arno. In the third example, the verb siam could be 
as accurately employed in the singular, as, in the first 
and second, the verbs fui and muova could be plu- 
ralized. 

VII. 

1. lo, non che comporre, non Far from being' able to com- 

so afatica leggere. F. pose, I hardly know how 

to read. 

2. Se tu sapessi chi to sono, If yoa knew who I am, far 

non che cercar di cac- from endeavouring to drive 

ciarmi, mi pregheresti me away, you would en- 

che io non mi partissi treat me never to depart 

mai da te. G. from you. 

To understand the above expressions, we must sup- 
ply, by analysis, what is understood, thus — 1. Io non 
(dico) che (io non so) comporre (die ognun lo sa, ma 
dico che), non so a fatica leggere; — 2. Non (dico) che 
(tu volessi) cercar di cacciarmi (il che sarebbe troppo 
contrario a' tuoi desiderj, ma dico che anzi), mi preghe- 
resti, &c. Few Italians thoroughly understand these 
elliptical expressions. This is the most proper trans- 
lation of the English idiom far from, &c. From the 
first example it is also to be remarked, that the ad- 
verb how, when placed between the verb to know and 
an infinitive, is not translated in Italian. 

VIII. 

1. Delia ininuta gente, e in With regard to the lower 

gran parte della mes- class, and many of the 

zana, era il ragguarda- middling rank, the scene 

mento di molto maggior was still more affecting. 
miseria pieno. B. 

2. Io non so quello che de' I know not how you have 

vostri pensieri voi v' in- disposed of your cares ; as 

tendiate di fare ; limiei for mine, I left them be- 

lasciai dentro daUa por- hind me. 
ta della cittd, B. 

Ll2 



260 

As we have often remarked in this Grammar, we 
avoid in Italian a superabundance of words, by means 
of ellipsis. In the above examples, it is unnecessary 
to translate the words, with regard, in the first in- 
stance, and as fofy in the second. The emphasis 
given to minuta gente, and li miei, performs the office 
of the words understood. These differences must be 
observed as rigidly as grammatical rules. 

IX. 

1. Niuno e si discreto e per- No one is so wise and pene- 

spicace,checonoscerpos- trating, as to be able to 

saisegreti consign della know the secret disposi- 

fortuna. B. tions of fortune. 

2. lo non sono ancora tanto I have not been so long of 

alV ordine di San Bene- the Benedictine order, as 

detto stato, die io possa to be acquainted with all 

avere ogni particularita the particulars thereto be- 

di quello apparata. B. longing. 

I must here caution the student to avoid making use 
of Anglo-Gallicisms ; the more dangerous, as Italians 
themselves are frequently betrayed into it: I mean, 
employing the adverb ahhastanza, or assai, for si and 
tanto, in the first part of these sentences ; and the pre- 
position per, instead of che, in the second part; as, 
for instance, niuno e abbastanza perspicace per poter, 
&c. Another Gallicism, is the substitution of the 
pronoun ne for di quello — thus, che io ne possa avere 
apparata, &c. These errors are abundant in the works 
of common writers, and it is thus that Italians spoil 
their language by their intercourse with the French. 
After residing a year in France, they speak a dialect 
neither Italian nor French. 

X. 

1. Vel faro far io. F. I will get it done for you. 

2. Perche non mi vuoi tu mi- Why wilt thou not get these 

gliorare qui Ire soldi? B. three pence for me ? 



261 

In these expressions, so often made use of in fa- 
miliar discourse, it is to be observed, that, instead 
of indicating the motive from which we act, as in 
English, we point out the person to whom our action 
tends, and therefore employ a different relation, viz. 
the point of tendency. The following are of the same 
description: Mend it for me, Acconciatemelo ; Write 
this letter for me, Scrivetemi questa lettera; Please to 
accompany this song for me, Piacciavi di accompa- 
gnarmi questa canzone. The preposition for, and the 
jjronoun, are not rendered in Italian, when the action 
of the verb is confined to the agent; for instance. Shall 
I go for you? Volete che vi vada io? the emphasis of io 
supplies them. 

XI. 

1. Bisogner^ebbe cli io non It would be necessary for me 

avessi ne occhi nt orecchi, to have neither eyes nor 

F. ears. 

2. Io non possofar altro. G. It is impossible for me to do 

otherwise. 

3. A not e necessario far cost. It is necessary for us to act in 

F. this way. 

4. Quivi leggier cosa ti fia There it will be easy for you 

il trovarlo. B. to meet him. 

The expressions. It is necessary, It is impossible for, 
may be translated by the verbs bisognare and potere, 
according to the first and second examples. The two 
first examples may also be translated literally into 
Italian, like the third and fourth, provided the prepo- 
sition/or be supplied with a; or the pronoun, as ti, in 
the last example, express a relation of tendency. The 
preposition to before do, in the second example, is not 
translated in Italian ; that is the case with the verbs, 
potere, sapere, dovere, volere, when placed before an 
infinitive. 



262 



EXERCISE XXIII. 

i. Indeed, you shall sup with me ; and though my husband 
di vero — — (2) (1) — perche — — 

be not at home, which I am much concerned at, I 
— — ci * * fo7^te gravare — 

know, as a woman, how to pay you some little 

sapro ben secondo — donna * ^ fare — un poco 
respect. 
onore 



2. It was necessary for him not only to make a 
convenire (4) * (3) (1) solamente (2) * — — 

quick sale of his goods, but /he was also 

gran mercato mercatan^ia ma quasi\ * 

constrained,\ / if he meant to dispose of them,'\ 
convenire ) (2) \ — nolere * spacciare — ''(I) 

to sell them for a trifle. 
gittar — via 

3. The day before, the Marquis being arrived there 

(2) (3) dinansi(4) (7) (8) (1) venire (10) (9) 

by chance, she had provided a bath for him, and 
(5) avventura(6) — — far fare — — * — 

a most elegant supper. 
nobilmente da cena 

4. I had much rather any one else /had begun 

* esser carissimo che * \ — dare cominciamento* 

such a fine subject as this is\ than myself; but 
cosl — — materia / (3) (1) * (2) — 

since it is your pleasure that I be first, I 
— — aggradare* — — — — — 

am ready to comply. 
fard volentieri 

6, If it is so, what do we here? What do we wait for? 
— (2) (1) — — — attendere 

What are we dreaming of? Why are we less regardful 
— * sognare — — — piii pigre e lente 

of our lives, than all the other citizens of theirs ? 
a — salute* — — — — — 



263 

6. It happened that some of the patrol, being- thirsty, 
avvenire — — famiglia * * 

were going- to that well to drink. 
- - (3) (4) (5) (1) (2) 

7. Jeannot inquired of him what he thoug-ht of the holy 
Giannotto domandare * — * par ere — — — 

father, the cardinals, and the rest of the court ? 
— — — — — altri cortigiani 

8. Thus I tell you, my lord, with regard to the three laws 

(2) (1) • * _ _ _ 

given by God the Father, concerning which you 

* * 

proposed the question. 



9. The scandalous and most wicked lives of these people 

— vizioso — lordo * — * 

furnish matter enough for raillery and 

dare (2) * sensa difficolta (1) * parlare — 

reproach, to such as are disposed. 

riprendere — ciascuno — cid desiderare di fare 

10. I am afraid ; but I shall be obliged to leave thee, and 
— temere * * convenire * — — — 

take another wife. 
prendere — — 

11. Friends, g-et you gone; leave this to me ; I 
compagno tirarsi indietro — — fare — * — 

know well how to pour ; and do you not expect 
— hen * * meacere — — — aspettare 

to taste a drop. 

— a^saggiare * gocciola 

12. Seeing himself surrounded by them, he said: Gentlemen, 

— — circondato — — — — 

you may use me as you please in your 

_ — dire — cid (4) che (5) * (6) (7) (1) (3) 

own territories. 
casa * (2) 



264 

13. The lady, so far from being- allowed to g-o to festivals 

— donna * potesse * — 

or to church, or step out of door in any way, 
— — trarre il pie — casa — — modo 

durst not to look out of the window, under any pretence 
osare — farsi a — — per — cagione 

whatever. 


14. He entreated him, as a special favour, that he 

— pregare — in luogo di somma grazia — 

would let him g-o, saying-. That, till he came to 
lasciare • — — per do die — non essere * 

Florence, he should always think he had the rope 
— * — parere * — capestro 

about his neck. 
in — gola 

15. I firmly believe Saint Julian, to whose honour 
— portarferma credensa * — Giuliano — * — 

I speak it, has obtained /this favour of God 

— dire — * impetrare (2) \ — grazia * — 

for me.\ 

16. Instead of the five pounds, the priest got her 
in iscamhio — — — — (2) (3) * (1) * 

harpsichord papered for her, and / a little bell \ 
cembalo rincartare * — \— - sonagliuszo^ (2) 

/ hung- to it \ 
\appiccare * / (1) 

17. We have a very bad affair upon our hands, 

— — pessimo (4) partito (5) a (6) * (7) (8) 

in consequence of his wickedness. 
(1) (3) fatti (2) 

18. She was told that she would lose her labour, as, 

* — — — — * fatica percid che 

far from aveng-ing- with justice the injuries done to 
* egli *(6) (4) (5) (1) (3) 

others, he suffered y' in a shameful manner\ 
(2) anzi 8ostenere(~i)\con* vituperevole viltd /(2) 

an infinite number offered to himself. 
(1) we (6) /are (5) (3) (4) 



265 

19. Her head ached so much, that she thought it 

* testa (4) (1) (2) forte (3) — * par ere * 

would split in pieces. 
spes^arsi 

20. I do not know how I can support the insult and 

— — — * — — comportare — ingiwia — 

deception which thou hast put upon me. 
inganno — (2)/are(l) * 

21. Perhaps the melancholy and grief I have sustained 
forse che — — — dolore — — avuto * 

for the loss of her, have so changed my looks, that she 

— — — m' * — trasfigurato — — 

does not know me again. 
— — riconoscere 

22. She began to laugh, and, without letting him proceed 

— — . — — — — — — dir 

further, said, /" I am not so forgetful \ /yo^ 

— — \ — — — * smemoratoj (2) \ — 

are very sensible \ not to know that you are my 
sapere bene >^(1) — * — — — — — 
husband." 

23. The head /of a comforters never aches. 

(4) capo (5) \* — — ^(1) non (2) (3) 

24. If I can succeed so far as to be able to deter him from 
fare (2) *(i) * * * togliere — — 

this foolishness, it will be well; if I cannot, I 

— hestialitd stare (2) (1) * — 

shall give you leave to do as you 

do — licensa — — quello che — 

shall think most proper. 
giudicare che essere henfatto 

25. If you were a scholar, you should repeat some 
— — — — letterato * convenire dire certo 

prayers which I would give you in writing ; but as 
orazione — — '- — scritto — perchb 

you are not, you must say three hundred pater nosters 

— — — * converra — — — — — 

with three hundred ave marias. 
M m 



266 



CHAP. XXX. 

UPON THE IMPERFECT AND PERFECT TENSES 
OF THE INDICATIVE MOOD. 

According to what I have remarked in the daily 
course of giving lessons, the English (as they express 
the perfect and imperfect tenses with the same form of 
the verb) find so much difficulty in the application 
of those two tenses in Italian, that to return to this 
subject, although it has been treated of in two other 
Chapters, will be of no little utility to the scholar. 
The variety of circumstances w^hich may represent 
the action as continued or finished, repeated or not 
repeated, and the time determined or not determined, 
constitute the principal difficulty. I shall, therefore, 
at every example produced, give the reason for the 
verb being in the perfect or imperfect. This will 
prepare the student for the promiscuous Exercises 
which are to be found at the end of this Grammar. 



I.Una poverafemminetta per By chance a poor woman was 

Ventura suoi stovigli con scouring her dishes with 

la rena e con I'acqua salt water and sand. 
salsa lavava. B. 

2. Sempre che presso gli ve- "Whenever it came near him, 
niva, quanto potea, con he would endeavour to 

mano la lontanava. B, put it by with his hand. 

These are the only instances wherein the imperfect 
is distinguished in English from the perfect, by a dif- 
ferent form of the verb. The first consists in applying 
the auxiliary to he, to a verb in the present participle, 
as in the first example ; the second, by employing the 



267 

auxiliary vjould, and the infinitive, as in the second 
example, wherein that auxiliary is not meant to ex- 
press either the conditional or the subjunctive mood^ 
but the imperfect of the indicative. Let, however, 
the student distinguish this imperfect from those two 
moods, which are likewise indicated by would. In 
the present case, the auxiliary and the infinitive may 
be supplied by the form of the preterite, as above ; 
endeavoured, may supply would endeavour ; in the other 
case they cannot. 

II. 

Vedendoci calar, ciascun ri- Seeing* us descend, all stop- 
stette. D. ped. 

The verb ristette is here in the perfect, because it 
expresses the act of an instant, and whicli cannot be 
continued. That verb could be put in the imper- 
fect, only in case of the action being repeated an 
undetermined number of times; for instance, When- 
ever they saw us descend, they stopped, Ogni qual 
volta ci vedevano, ristavano. 

III. 

Quando il figliuolo piangea. When her child cried, she 
vi facea/ar le grida. D. used to cause a great noise 

to be made. 

The author relates that Ehea, wife of Saturn, used 
to have a great noise made when Jupiter, her infant 
son, cried, in order that Saturn might not hear it. 
Then the verbs piangere and fare are in the imper- 
fect 5 because the two actions which they express were 
repeated : they might be in the perfect, if the time 
were determined, as in the following example : Tre 
giorni il pianse, e tre giorni in vano il chiamb; She 
lamented and called him during three days. 

M m 2 



268 



IV. 

1. Ma quell' altro magnani' But the other mag-nanimous 

mo, a cui posta restato spirit, for whose sake I 

m'era, non muto aspetto. had stopped, did not 

chang^e countenance. 

2. Aveva i circostanti vicini He had assembled his neigh- 

raccoUi nella propria hours in his own house. 

casa. B. 

Remark, that whenever the preterite (which term 
comprehends both the perfect and imperfect) is com- 
pounded, namely, when the participle past is attended 
with the auxiliary had, as in the above examples, had 
stopped, had assembled, the auxiliary is always put in 
the imperfect, unless it be preceded either by the 
adverbs after or when ; as, for instance, Quando, or 
Poi che ebbe detto cib, &c. When, or after he had said 
that, &c. The negative expression of the verb mutare, 
being determined, and represented as finished, it is 
therefore in the perfect; I mean, that the action ex- 
pressed by the verb mutare, is determined by the words 
understood. Per tutto il tempo che io mera ristato. 
Had the author written, Non mutava, he would then 
have meant, that his trial upon the person spoken of, 
was still working in his mind at the moment referred 
to. By the perfect, he only acquaints the reader that 
the spirit had not changed countenance ; by the im- 
perfect, he would also convey a lively idea of his 
standing before the spirit, and admiring His intrepidity. 

V. 
Cost Vanimo mio, che ancor Thus my soul, which still 
fuggi\a,si\o\seindietro. flew, turned. 

D. 

Dante relates, that he had succeeded in getting out 
of the dangerous forest; but the danger had worked so 



269 

much upon his imagination, that although his body 
had stopped, his soul was still flying. The verb fug- 
gire is therefore in the imperfect, to denote the actual 
state of the soul ; the modification of the adverb 
still, proves the continuation of that action ; on the 
contrary, the action indicated by the verb volgere^ 
is instantaneous, and is, for that reason, expressed 
in the perfect. 

VI. 

Questisciaurati, che mai non These wretches, who never 
fur vivi, erano ignudi. were alive, were naked. 

Dante here means, that those wretches were never 
alive, viz. such as were useless while in the world. 
The verb essere is in the perfect, in the first instance, 
because of the adverb mai, which determines the 
length of time. Fur is an abbreviation oifurono. In 
the second instance, essere is in the imperfect, to indi- 
cate that to be naked, was customary and continual 
with that people. 

VII. 

1. Euripilo ebbe nome. D. He was called Euripilo. 

2. Uomini fummo, ed or sem We were men ; now we are 

fatti sterpi. D. changed into bushes. 

3. Dille chi tu fosti. D. Tell her who thou wast. 

When speaking of the dead, and of their qualities, 
we make use of the perfect; the time being deter- 
mined by the implied words, the ivhole life, and the 
state of being passed and finished. Dante (Inferno, 
Canto X.), saying to a spirit, ro7\se cui Guido vostro 
ebbe a disdegno. Whom perhaps your son Guido had 
in contempt; on account only of the perfect, ebbe, the 
spirit thinks his son is dead, and replies. Come dicesti, 
egli ebbe; non viv' egli ancora? What didst thou say. 



270 

he had ; does he not live still ? We might use the 
imperfect in the above sentences, if we spoke of per- 
sons alive, who had changed either name or state, as 
in Gelli's Dialogues between Ulysses and the Greeks 
changed into animals : Colui era medico, He was a 
physician ; Sarei io mat ritornato uomo come gid, era ? 
Am I transformed again into man as I was? But when 
we mention the manners and customs of the dead (not 
qualities, as mentioned above), we must employ the 
imperfect ; as, for instance, QuelV altra faceva, My 
other wife used to do ; QuelV altra diceva, She used 
to say ; Ella si contentava d'ogni cosa, She was always 
satisfied with every thing. 

VIII. 

Tenevamo il colmo, qucindo We were at the upper part 
ristemmo,. when we stopped. 

As the station that the individuals now speaking, 
had attained, was continuous, and the time during 
which they kept it not being determined, the verb 
tenere, ought therefore to be in the imperfect; whereas, 
the act of stopping being instantaneous, the verb 
ristare is employed in the perfect. 

IX. 

1. Piu volte gid per dir le Several times already I open- 

lahhra apersi. P. ed my mouth to speak. 

2. Dl e notte andava ricer- I went searching day and 

cando. P. night. 

3. Cost lungo Vamate rive Thus I went along the be- 
andai. P. loved banks. 

Although the action expressed by the verb aprire, in 
the first example, is repeated, the time being deter- 
mined by the words, piu volte, the verb is on that 
account put in the perfect. 

Very often the literal expression of the English may 



271 

denote an action, either as proceeding at the time 
referred to, or represented as finished, as in the two 
last examples. Then the application of the tense, in 
Italian, depends upon circumstances, and upon what 
we intend to express. 

In the second example, Petrarch represents himself 
as in motion, and going to search 3 on account of which 
intention, he uses the imperfect. In the third exam- 
ple, he relates what he had performed and finished; 
to determine which, he employs the perfect. 



EXERCISE XXIV. 



1. We found King Charles so grateful to us, that he has 

— * — — — — verso di — — — 

made up to us, in part, the losses we had sustained 
ristorare — — danno * — * ricevere 

on his account. 

2. After he had opened the little door, and the smoke 
poi che — * — — (uolo) uscio — (4) (5) 

was a little dispersed, looking w^ithin, he saw him 
* (2) (3) sfogare (1) — _ * * 

who had sneezed, and still did so ; the sulphur 

— *(2) (1) — ancora starnutire'^ (3) (4) 

provoking- him to it. 
st7'ingere(5) (6) (I) (2) 

3. He had not been long- waiting-, before Ruberto came, and 

— * — — guari — che — * — 

pulled the thread as usual. 

tirare * — spago — essere * usato 

4. Hannibal was more acceptable to King- Antiochus, than 
Annibale * — accetto — (2) Antwco(^l) — 

he had been to his Carthaginians. 
*(5) (4) (I) (2) Cartaginese(S) 



272 

Already had the sun with its lig-ht brought the new 

— * _ _ (2) (3) (4) recare(l) 

day, and the birds upon the blooming branches 

— — — — su per — verde ramo 

(attested it\ /with their merry 

dare * tesLimoniansa ne/(2) \cantando piacevoli 

song's,'^ when the ladies and the three gentlemen, 
versi^Q) — — — — — — giovane 

arising, went into the garden. 

levarsi * entrarsene (4) (1) (2) (3) 



6. The monk, who had made pretence of going to the 

— — — * — semhiante — — — — 

wood, having concealed himself in the dormitory, saw 
— * occultare — — * 

the abbot enter his chamber alone. 

— - - (2) (3) (1) 

7. Saladin perceived that he had been able to escape 

— conoscere costui * sapere uscir * 

the net which he had spread for him, and 

— laccio — * tendere davanti * — 

therefore told him what he had designed to 

— aprire * — — * avere in animo — 

do, had he not thus answered with discretion. 

— *(4) (3) (1) (5) discretamente (2) 

8. The abbot, after he had waited some time, 

— — poi die *(2) stare (3) alquanto(l) 

ordered one of his servants to see 

comandare * — — — famigliare die riguardare* 

whether the fellow was gone. 

— costui — partire 

9. One day, being very near the chamber where he 

— giorno assai vicini * — — * — 

lay, they began to have some talk together 
giacere* (5)'*' (6) ragionare(J)seco{l)medesimi{2) 

about it. 
*(3)(4) 



273 

10. When he had taken some refreshment, he begged 

come — * mangiare (2) alquanto ( 1 ) pregare 
that she would be so kind as to relate to him what 

— ^ piacere — narrare — — — 
was the reason for such a solitary life. 

* — cagione * tanto — — 

11. Some always called him a poet, some a philosopher, 
alcuni (2) *(1) — — — alcuni — — 

and many a theologian, during his life. 

— — — — mentre die vivere * 

12. He became very familiar with Virgil, Horace, Ovid, and 

*(2) »(])__ _ _ _ 

Statius. 
Sta^io 

13. Rinaldo 's servant, like a coward, seeing his master 

— — /ante come — cattivo — — signore 
attacked, did not offer him any assistance ; but, 

assalire adoperare(p)per(Z)(ji){y) cosa (2) — 
turning his horse, never stopped till he 

volgere * * — non ritenersi * di correre si 

came to castle Guglielmo, where, without giving 
esser^e * a castel — e in quello — — 

himself any farther trouble, he took up his lodging. 

— altro impaccio alter gave* 

14. From thence the two knights went to England, where 

- (2) (3) (4) (1) • • - 

they prevailed so far with the king, that he restored 

adoperare(^b)^ {\) (2) (3) (4) rendere* 

her to his favour, and received her and his son-in-law 

* — gra:sia — * (8) (4) (5) (6) (7) 
with all possible demonstrations of joy. 

(1) grandissima (2) festa (3) 

15. There, finding himself in safety, he opened his 
quivi parere * esser sicuro sciogliere * — 
little sack ; and now examining more narrowly into it 

sacchetto — cercare* conpiudiligenzaognicasa 
than he had done before, he found so many valuable 

— **(3) (2) prima {\) * — esifatto 
jewels, that, rating them at a reasonable price, he 

pietra — vendere — convenevol pregio — 

was twice richer than when he had left home. 

* il doppio * — — * partirsi — 

N n 



274 

16. When I was grown up^ my mother, who was a v'ldh 

— — * crescere — — — * — — 

lady, married me to one of the Gergenti 's, a 

— dar per moglie — — — — — 

worthy gentleman, who, out of regard to my 
gentile uomo e da bene — per amor di — 

mother and me, came and lived at Palermo. 

— — — venirsene * * stare * — 

17. Every morning, about the time that he supposed they 

— — insuVora — — avvisare^ * — 

would come that way, he would order a bucket full 
dovere passare * — secchia — 

of fresh water to be brought (to him), and a decanter 

— (^) (0 * portare * orcioletto 

of wine, with a couple of glasses. 

— — — due bicchieri 

18. There was this custom, that, in divers parts of the town, 

— * — usansa — — — luogo — — 

the gentlemen in the neighbourhood would meet 

— gentiluomo * — contrade ragunarsi * 

together, and form a society, consisting of a 

— — fare * — brigata — — 

certain number of persons, taking care to admit only 

— — — — guardare — mettervi 

such as were able to bear the expence of it. 
tali * potere * * sopportar — spese 

19. Because I made him a copy of this work, and of some 
percid che — * — — — — — — 

chapters of the Caprezio in Italian, which he had 

— — — — — volgare — — * 

been long searching, he let me partake of his 
andare lungo * — — fare * — partecipe 

relics. 

20. Art thou not the worthy man who took that gown 

— — — quel valente — — togliere * * vesta 

from the lady, and gave it to thy wife ? 
a — signora — * — — — — 



275 

21. They fell sick daily, by thousands. 

in/ermare*(5) joer(3) g'iorno(4) *(1) * (2) 

22. Eg-ano, perceiving them to be awake, and hearing- them 

— sentire — desto — udire — 

talk together about him, endeavoured several 

ragionare(4) (1) * (2) (3) tentare* — 

times to draw his hand away to escape ; but 

— — tirare * (3) (4) a(l) se(2) — andamene — 

they held him so fast, that he could not. 

— tenere — — forte — — si — — partire 

23. Running to the coop, and turning it up, he saw 

* — — cesta —levare*(2)*(l) * 

the youth, who, besides the pain he had suffered, 
— giovinetto — oltre a — dolore * * — 
was frightened to death, lest he should do him 
tutto di paura tremare * — * — — 

some mischief. 

— male 

24. There, gathering some straw which was lying 

— raunare * alquanto * pagliericcio — (3)*«?'(2) 

about, /he sat down \ thereon, all pensive 
vicin(l) \ porsi * a stare' (5) *(1) O tristo(2) 

and sad, complaining to Saint Julian, telling 
(3) dolente (4) dolersi — — Giuliano — 

him, that this was not according to the confidence he 
— * — * di — fede * — 

had in him. 



Nn2 



27(5 





CHAP. XXXL 


ORTHOGRAPHY. 




OF ACCENT 


, 


Pietade, 
Pietate, 


" > pietd. 


pity. 


Gioventude, 
Gioventute, 


' > gioventu, - 


youth. 


Piede, 


- pib, - - 


foot. 


Cantoe, 


- canto, 


he sung". 


Perdeo, 


- perde. 


he lost. 


Ferio, - 


- feri, 


he wounded, 



The Italians have one accent ( ' ), which they place 
upon the last vowel of the words from which one or 
more letters have been cut off, as appears from the 
above. 





OF THE APOSTROPHE. 

X 


La anima, 


I. 

- V anima, - 


the soul. 


La eresia. 


- V eresia. 


the heresy. 


Lo onore. 


- V onore. 


the honour. 


La insegna, 


C V insegna, 
\ la 'nsegna. 


> the ensig-n. 


Che io, 


- ch' io. 


that I. 


Ti invito. 


- f invito, 


I invite thee. 


Quello onore, 


- quell' onore, 


that honour. 


Tra il po^so e 


1 la ripa, tra H po^zo, 


between the well and 
the shore. 



The apostrophe supplies the place of the vowel cut 
off from a word followed by one commencing with a 
vowel. 



277 



The fourth example is given to show the student 
that, with regard to the words beginning with the syl- 
lable in, the ancients used sometimes to cut off the 
initial letter of the latter word, instead of the last of 
the former. 

The elision of the i from the word il, employed 
either as an article or as a pronoun, preceded by a 
word which ends in £t vowel, is still used. 



II. 



Perd to, 

Savio amico, 

Levo alto il pie, 

PerM iot - perch' io 

La verita e, - - 

Andd a corte, 

II mio amore, 

Miei amid, 

Gli onori, 

Gil anni, 

Gli infermi, gV infermi 



therefore L 

wise friend. 

he lifted his foot. 

therefore I. 

the truth is. 

he went to the court. 

my love. 

my friends. 

the honours. 

the years. 

the patients. 



The above examples show, that an accented vowel 
does not admit of elision, except in the conjunctions to 
which the particle che is annexed; as poiche, acciocch^, 
percM, &c.; — 2. That likewise words ending in two 
vowels, cannot be shortened;— 3. That the i of the 
word gli, can be cut off only before a word beginning 
with i. 



III. 



Felice alma, 
Lacci antichi 



happy soul, 
ancient snares. 



The final e, in those words which end in ce and ge, 
can be cut off only before a following e; and the i of 
those words ending in ci and gi, suffers elision only 
before a word beginning with i. 



278 



Egli ha henefatto, 

Vedi hello ciottolo, 

Mi sogliono fare 
motto, 

Facevano vista di 
marav igliaresi, 



OF RETRENCHMENT. 

I. 

egli ha henfatto. 
vedi hel ciottolo. 



mi soglion 
motto. 

facevan vista di 
maraviscliarsi. 



He has done well. 

See the fine pebble. 

They usually speak 
to me. 

They pretended to 
be astonished. 



We call retrenchment, the suppression of one or 
more vowels or syllables in a word followed by an- 
other beginning with a consonant. 

The vowels e and o admit of retrenchment when pre- 
ceded by I, m, n, r, except in some adjectives ending 
in ro; as chiaro, light; nero, black. 





IT. 




Fanciullo piccolino, 


fanciul piccolino, 


little boy. 


Biondo capello, 


biondo capel. 


fair hair. 


Capelli, 


capei, 


hair. 



From the words ending in Uo, the last syllable, and 
in the plural, the two U's may be cut oiF. 



Buona compagnia 
Ora voglio, 
Allora gridb, 



III. 

or voglio, 
allor gridd, 



good company, 
now I wish, 
then he screamed. 



The words ending in a, except ora, when employed 
as an adverb, and such as are compounded with it, as 
allora, then; ancora, still, &c. do not admit of re- 



trenchment. 






Uno anno, 


un anno, 


a year. 


Una santo. 


un santo. 


a saint. 


Uno sciocco, 


— 


a fool. 



279 

Una donna, — a woman. 

Una anima, un' anima, a soul. 

Grande vaso, gran vaso, large vase. 

Grande onore, grand' onore, great honour. 

Grande scoglio, — - large rock. 

Grande pietra, gran pietra, large stone. 

Grandi pietre, gran pietre, large stones. 

Santo Paolo, San Paolo, Saint Paul. 

Santo Antonio, Sanf Antonio^ Saint Anthony. 

Santo Stefano, — Saint Stephen. 

Santa Anna, Sanf Anna, Saint Ann. 

Santa Maria, — Saint Mary. 

Quello specchio, ihsit glass. Quegli specchi, those glasses. 

Quell' uomo, that man. Quegli uomini, those men. 

Quell' ingrato, that ingrate. Quegli ingrati, those ingrates. 

Quel corpo, that body. Quel, or que' carpi, those bodies. 

Quell' arme, that weapon. Quelle,ov quelUarmi, those weapons. 

Such is the use of the elisions and retrenchments to 
which these adjectives are subject. The words, alcuno, 
niuno, nessuno, veruno, &c. are subject to the same 
variations as the word uno, 

1. 



Togli, - 


- to'. 


- take. 


Meglio, I 

Mez^o, ) 


- me'. 


_ ( better. 
' ( middle. 


Vedi, 


' ve\ 


- see. 


Set, 


- se'. 


- thou art, 


Egli, \ 
Eglino, 5 

Poco, 


- e', ei, 

- po', 


5 he. 
' i they. 
- little. 



These, and several others, are the principal words 
which have been most altered by retrenchment. 



280 ^^ 



,'^■1^' 



2. # 

1. lo ho avuto il maggior I had the greatest pleasure 

diletto che mat uomo that man ever had. 
avesse. B. 

2. Chi mat ti vuol, mat ti He who wishes ill to you, 

sogna. B. thinks of it in his dreams. 

3. Non sopercht tu mi abbi I do not know why you use 

afar questo, B. me in such a manner. 

4. Ben ti dico. B. I assure you, 

5. lo sapeva bene che tu do- I really thought what you 

vevi dir cost. B. would say^ 

6. L'amor mio, B. 

7. II mio amove* B. 



My love. 



There are no positive rules by which we learn the 
instances wherein retrenchment is proper or necessary, 
to give the requisite harmony to a sentence. A good 
taste, acquired by the perusal of the best authors, will 
alone enable the student to make a judicious use of the 
elision. It is indeed obvious, that all the above sen- 
tences written without retrenchment, would displease 
an ear well organized, as may be seen from the se- 
cond, if thus written : Chi male ti vnole, male ti sogna. 
As appears from the last example, words are usually 
written without retrenchment at the end of a sentence. 

IV. 

OF THE INCREASE OF WORDS. 

1. 

Con stampa, con istampa, with a stamp. 

In Spagna, in Ispagna, into Spain. 

Per sdegno, per isdegno, for disdain. 

Our pronunciation, generally, does not allow of one 
word ending with a consonant, meeting with one be- 
ginning with s, followed by another consonant. In 



281 

such cases we add an i to the second word, saying. 
Con istampa, hi Ispagna, &c. instead of Con stampa. 
In Spagna. 

2. 

A Andreuccio, ad Andreuccio, to Andrew. 

E egli, ed egli, and he. 

The letter d is occasionally added to the preposition 
a, and the conjunction e, when it may be favourable 
to harmony, especially if followed by a similar letter. 

1. Per non spendere. B. In order not to spend. 

2. L'arte del ben scrivere. The art of writing- well. 

These examples, which are contrary to the principle 
above-mentioned, show that grammar is, in such in- 
stances, subjected to the sense, and alFord another 
principle, that the meeting of three consonants is not 
to be avoided, either when, by adding the vowel i, we 
soften an expression which, by virtue of the sense, 
would require to be pronounced harshly, as in the first 
example ; or when, by that addition, we should de- 
stroy the harmony, as in the second. 



OF IRREGULAR VERBS. 

FIRST CONJUGATION. 

Many persons, both Italians and foreigners, affirm, 
that the greatest difficulty of the Italian language, 
consists in the irregularity of its verbs ; because, in 
most Grammars, they find one half of the book filled 
with conjugations of verbs, and the other half, with 

o o 



282 

words haviog no connet;tion, or with dull dialogues* 
The true difficulties are not, however, pointed out. 
When the student has perused all the rules which 
are diffused through the following six pages, he will 
be convinced that the irregularities are considerably 
reduced; and simply by the mechanism of writing 
the irregular verbs, and supplying such forms as may 
be collected by aid of the said rules, he will no 
sooner have arrived at the end, than he will find 
himself in full possession of this arduous science. 
These irregularities appear numberless in other Gram- 
mars, because they are not properly presented to the 
eye of the student, but are all conjugated one after 
another, without any attempt at simplification. 

The first conjugation has only four irregular verbs : 
andare, to go ; dare, to give , fare, to do ; stare, to 
stay. 

Andare, to go. Andando, going. Andato, gone. 
Yo, or vado, I go; vai, va, andiamo, andate, vanno, 
Andava, I went, &c. Andai, I went, &c.t Andro, I 
will go, &c. Andrei, I would go, &c. Va% go; vada, 

f All those verbs, the action of which is confined within the agent, and 
also those denoting state of being, are conjugated in Italian with the auxi- 
liary essere. Such verbs may be distinguished from others, by their not 
admitting of the object ; so that when a verb suffers neither the word some- 
thing, nor a person, after it, as, for instance, the verb andare, — (we can- 
not say, "Togo something. To go a person,") — then the auxiliary must 
be essere; i.e. lo sono andato, I am gone; Sono vissiito, 1 have lived. In 
that case, the termination of the participle past agrees, in gender and num- 
ber, with the subject; namely, lo sono andato, or andata; Not siamo an- 
dati, or andate. Although the verbs parere, to appear ; valere, to be 
worth ; piacere, to please ; do not refuse the two words above-mentioned, 
they are not used with these verbs in the quality of an object. Those words, 
after parere and valere, represent a second subject ; after piacere, the rela- 
tion of tendency. The student, in writing the following verbs, must alwaya 
supply the first person of both genders and numbers of a compound tense. 



283 

andiamo, andate, vadano. Che vada, that I may go, 
&c.t Che andassi, that I should go, &c. 

Dare, to give. Dando, giving. Dato, given. Bo, 
I give; dai, da, diamo, date, danno. Dava, I gave, &c. 
Diedi, or detti, I gave -, desti, diede, or dette, demmo, 
deste, diedero, or detUro. Daro, I will give, &c. Darei, 
I would give, &c. Da, give 3 dia, diamo, date, diano, 
Che dia, that I give, &c. Che dessi, that 1 should 
give, &c. 

Fare, to do. Facendo, doing. Fatto, done. Fo, I 
do ; fai, fa, facciamo, fate, fanno. Faceva, I did, &c. 
Feci, I did ; facesti, fece, facemmo, faceste, fecero, 
JFaro, I will do, &c. Fam, I would do, &c. Fa', do; 
faccia, facciamo, fate, facciano. Che faccia, that I 
do, &c. Che facciate, that you do, &c. Che facessi, 
that I should do, &c. 

Stare, to stay. Stando, staying. Stato, stayed. 
Sto, I stay ; stai, sta, stiamo, state, stanno. Stava, I 
stayed, &c. Stetti, I stayed; stesti, stette, stemmo, 
steste, stetteroa Starb, I will stay, &c. Starei, I 
would stay, &c. Sta\ stay; stia, stiamo, state, stiano. 
Che stia, that I stay, &c. Che stessi, that I should 
stay, &c. 

SECOND CONJUGATION. 

The verbs of the second conjugation which are quite 
regular, being few in number, we shall exhibit those 
first to the student; they are the following : 

t The plural of the present conjunctive is always like the imperative, 
excepting that the second person of the former ends in iate. 



O O 



284 



REGULAR VERBS OF THE SECOND CONJUGATION. 



Battere, 


to beat. 


Procedere, to proceed. 


Capere, 


be contained. 


Picevere, 


receive. 


Concedere, 


to grant. 


Resistere, 


resist. 


Credere, 


believe. 


Rifletiere, 


consider. 


Godere, 


enjoy. 


Ripetere, 


repeat. 


Empieref, 


fill. 


Scernere, 


discern. 


Fendere, 


cleave. 


Spandere, 


spread. 


Fremere, 


rag-e. 


Splendere, 


shine. 


Geinere, 


groan. 


Spremere, 


squeeze out 


Mietere, 


reap. 


Stridere, 


scream. 


Mescere, 


mix. 


Succumbere, 


sink under. 


Pascere, 


graze. 


Suggere, 


suck. 


Pendere, 


hang. 


Temere, 


fear. 


Perdere, 


lose. 


Tondere, 


shear. 


Prescindere, 


abstract. 


Vender e J 


sell. 



The verbs asm^ere, to assist; consisfere, to consist; 
esistere, to exist; resistere, to resist, have the past 
participle irregular — assistito, consistito, esistito, re- 
sistito. 

Of the irregular verbs of the second conjugation, 
some are irregular only in the imperfect tense of the 
indicative, and in the past participle ; and some have 
other irregularities. The following table contains those 
of the former description, 

t According to the method of conjugating any verb by one of the regular 
verbs, given in page 10, the second person of the present indicative, in 
this instance, should be empii; yet empi is the proper form, because the 
syllable pie of the infinitive is indivisible. In the following, for instance, 
alkviare^ premiare, risparmiare, the syllables via and mia might be divided 
into vi-a, mi-a; so that the second person above mentioned, is written 
with two i 's — allevii, premii, risparTnii — but in appareccJdare and ahbagliarCy 
the syllables chia and glia being indivisible, the second person must be 
written with one i only — apparccchif ahhagli. 



285 



VERBS IRREGULAR, 
In the Perfect of the Indicative, and in the Past Participle. 



Infinitive. 




Perfect. 


Past Participle. 


Tor cere, to twist. 


Tor 


si, 


torto*. 


Acce ndere, 


light. 


Acce 


si, 


accesof. 


Ucci dere, 


kill. 


Ucci 


si. 


uccisoX- 


L eggere, 


read. 


L 


essi. 


letto. 


Distr uggere, 


destroy. 


Distr 


ussi. 


distrutto. 


Fri ggere, 


fry. 


Fri 


ssi, 


fritto. 


Spi ngere, 


push. 


Spi 


nsi, 


spinto^. 


Accor gere, 


perceive. 


Accoi 


' si. 


accorto\\. 


Co gliere, 


pluck. 


Co 


Isi, 


colto. 


Spe gnere, 


extinguish. 


Spe 


nsi, 


spento. 


Distin guere, 


distinguish. 


Distin 


1 si. 


distinto. 


Esp ellere, 


expel. 


Esp 


ulsi, 


espulso. 


Pr emere, 


press. 


Pr 


essi. 


presso. 


Espr mere, 


express. 


Espr 


essi, 


espresso. 


Pres umere, 


presume. 


Pres 


unsi, 


presunto. 


R ompere, 


break. 


R 


uppi, 


rotto. 


Cono «cere. 


know. 


Cono 


bbi, 


conosciuto^. 


M ef^ere. 


put. 


M 


isi. 


messo**. 


Scr t^ere, 


write. 


Scr 


issi. 


scrittoff. 


Asso Ivere, 


absolve. 


Asso 


J . i assolto, or 
^*'^^ \assolutoXX' 




EXCEPTIONS 






* Cuocere, tc 


) boil. 




cossi, 


cotto. 


'f* Fondcre, 


melt. 




fusi. 


fuso. 


JVascondere, 


hide. 




nascosi. 


nascoso, or nascosto. 


I Cedere, 


give up. 




cessi. 


ceduto. 


§ Stringerey 


close. 




strinsi. 


stretto. 


\\ Dirigere, 


direct. 




diressi. 


diretto. 


Esigere, 


require. 




csigei. 


esattoi 


Negligere, 


neglect. 




neglessi 


', negletto. 


Mergercy 


plunge. 




mersiy 


merso. 


^ Nascere, 


bear. 




nacqui, 


nato. 


** Flettere, 


bend. 




Jlessi, 


Jlesso. 


ft Fiwert, 


live. 




vissi, vivuio, or vissuto. 


it Solvere, 


untie. 




solvei, 


soluto. 



286 



Infinitive, 






Cor 


rere, 


to 


ran. 


Discu 


tere, 




discuss 


Perc 


uotere, 




strike. 



Perfect. 


Past Participl< 


Cor si, 


corso. 


Discu ssi, 


discusso. 


Perc ossi, 


percosso. 


Comm ossi, 


commosso. 



Comm uovere''^', move. 

Thus, when a verb, ending in ere, is not to be found 
amongst those few regular which are given in the first 
table, nor in the following one, of those which have 
several irregularities, it may be inferred, that it is one 
of the verbs which are irregular only in the two above- 
mentioned tenses ; and we may, from its termination, 
form the perfect and the participle, by the above table. 

Having found the first person of the perfect, we form 
the third of the singular, by changing the final i into e, 
and the third of the plural, by adding ro to the third 
of the singular. The second person of the singular, 
the first and second of the plural, are always regular, 
and must therefore be taken from the infinitive, by 
changing the last syllable, re, into sti, mmo, ste; thus : 

Coglie re. 



Irregular. Cols i. 
Regular. Coglie sti. 
Irregular. Cols e. 



Regular. Coglie mmo. 
Regular. Coglie ste. 
Irregular. Colse ro. 



When a verb is contracted, as conducere, into con- 
durre, we employ the former to construct the three 
regular persons. Such are, porre, to put ; here, to 
drink; dire, to say; corre, to pluck; sciorre, to untie; 
trarre, to draw ; syncopes of ponere, bevere, dicere, 
cogliere, sciogliere, traere. 

* As we have already said, in a verb containing the syllable uo, when 
the accent passes to a following vowel, the u must be taken off; thus : 
muqvere, to move ; muovo, I move ; muovi, thou movest j movianxo, we 
move ; movete, you move, &c. 



287 



VERBS HAVING SEVERAL IRREGULARITIES*. 
Condurre, syncope of Conducere, to Conduct. 

Conducendo, conducting-. Condotto, conducted. ConducOj 
I conduct. Conduceva, I conducted, Condussi, I conducted. 
Condui^rb, I will conduct. Condurrei, I would conduct. 
Conduct, conduct ; conduca, let him conduct. Che condu- 
cessi, that I should conduct. 

Bevere, or Bere, to Drink. 

This verb is regular, but we may say, bevo, or beo, beveva, 
or beeva; and so on, through the other tenses. The perfect 
has three forms: bevvi, bevei, or bevetti; of which, the former 
is the most used. 

Cadere, to Fall. 

Caddi, I fell. Caderd, or cadrd, I will fall. Caderei, or 
cadrei, I would fall. 

Chiedere, to Ask. 

Chiesto, asked. Chiedo, or chieggo, I ask. Chiesi, I 
asked, Chieda, or ckiegga, let him ask. 

* In case of the perfect being irregular, if the first person is given, the 
others may be formed in the manner already pointed out. 
. The third person of the singular of the present indicative, is always ob- 
tained from the second, by changing the final i into e. The first persons 
plural of the present imperative and conjunctive, are always like the first 
of the indicative. These are the three moods most subject to irregularities. 
The second plural of the present indicative and imperative, is invariably 
regular. The second plural of the present conjunctive, is formed by chang- 
ing the termination iamo of the first into iate. The third person plural of 
the present indicative, is formed by adding the syllable no to the first of 
the singular. The third person plural of the imperative and present con- 
junctive, is obtained by adding the syllable no to the third of the singular. 

The three persons singular of the present conjunctive, invariably re- 
semble the third of the imperative. The second has two forms : che rida, 
or ridi, that you may laugh. 

I consider it necessary to give merely the irregular tenses, and of those 
I omit the persons, which may be formed from the above explanation. 

Some of my pupils have observed to me, that these rules are, in fact, too 
much simplified; yet, from experience, I am persuaded that such is not the 
case ; since a child of eleven years of age (as I have mentioned in the Pre- 
face) , has succeeded in writing all the following verbs, by the sole aid of 
these very rules. 



288 

Dire, syncope of Dicer e, to Say. 

Dicendo, sa^-iog. Dtt\>j. said. D^'co, I say : did. ^.t di' , 
dice, diciamo. dite. — . Liceva. 1 said. Jjissi. I sai'ii. Lir'o. 
I will saj'. Direi. I would say. Di' say; dicrj,. Sec. C/ie 
dicessi, that I should say. 

Dolersi. to Complain*. 

J/i dolgOf or doglio. I cimplai.. : /?" dadi. -si ducU, ci 
dogliamo, vi delete, &-{ doI^::\c. jIi dcUi. I c:: :i::..id. 
3/t dorrb, I will complain. .Vi i :;. 

Duoliti. Gl duoUi. complain: dolkj.-c, ui 'A'^^hu-^c, c^c. 
Dovere, to be Obliged. 
Dehho. or deg^io. I must: ofe?", or delhi. dee. or debhe, 
dohbiamo, — , Sec. Divro. I shall be c • i t ^ Dovrei, I 
should be obliged. Che dtbba, that I be o,ji.^c^^, Sec; do^- 
hiamo, — , &c. 

Nuocere. to In jure. 
AociKfo, injured. 3'i. : - : :ccic; I i: ' : r >' v ^?, 

nocciamo, nocete. &c. J ::^.i, I injures. _,..:.:, :r.j_:e; 
nuoccia, or noccia. Sec. 

Parere. to Appear. 
Paruto. or ■■po.rsc. ;?.■;■^r?:cl pv^'o. la^^'-ear: ;;c:/-/'. — . 
jjaiamo, — . — . Po/^vi^ i a.:.:rarrd, Po.:T'j, 1 wid apprar. 
Parrel, I would appear. Par?', ap.ear: /^aii'a, paiamo, 

Piacere. to Please.. 
Piaciuto, pleased. Piaccio. piaci, Sec. : pio.cciamo, Sec. 
Piacqui, 1 pleased. Piaci, pl-^a^e : piaccia. Sec. The verb 
giacere, to He, is co-^i;; a:-d in the same mani^er. 

Porre, syDco^.e of Ponere. to Pat^. 
Ponendo, puttiDg. Po.kIo, put. Pongo, 1 put : ;^07a", — , 
poniamo, kc. Pan era. 1 put. Pes?'. I put. Porrd, 1 will 

* The auxiliary of a verb ar:-i : i — 'rL : - - : : : :_ - ;t be essere. 

\ Upon tliese verbs are col -^.. . :_;:; .1 : . - ;_- suae termina- 
tion; for instance, indurre and produrre, upon comdmre; accadere, nptm 
cadere; disdire, interdire, upon dire; apparere, vs^n parere ; frapporre, ap- 
porre, imporrc, n^n porre. 



289 

put. Porrei, I -would put Poni, ipui; ponga, kc. Ponessi, 
I should put. 

Potere, to be Able. 

Posso, I can ; puoi, pud, possiamo, potete, &c.* Potro, 
I will be able. Potrei, I would be able. Che possa, that 
I may, &c. 

Rimanere, to Remain. 

Rimaso, or rimasto, remained. Rimango, I i*emain ; ri- 
mani, &c. Rimasi, I remained. Rimarro, I will remain. 
Rimarreiy I Would remain. Rimani, remain ; rimanga, &c. 

Sapere^ to Know. 
So, I know; sa«, sa, sappiamo, — , sanno. Seppi, I 
knew. Saprd, I will know. Saprei, I would know. Sappi, 
know ; sappia, let him know ; sappiate, know, &c. 

Scegliere, to Choose. 
Scelto, chosen. Scelgo, or sceglio, I choose ; scegli, &c. 
Scelsi,! chose. Scegli, choose ; scelga, or sceglia, &c. 

Seder Gy to Sit. 
Siedo, or seggo, I sit; steo?«, — , sediamo, or seggiamo, 
sedete, &c. Siedi, sit ; sieda, or segga, &c. Possedere, to 
possess, has likewise these little irregularities. 
Svellere, to Pluck Out. 
Svelto, plucked. Svelgo, or svello, I pluck; svelli, &c. 
Svelsi, I plucked. Svelli, pluck ; svella, or svelga, &c. 
Tacere, to be Silent. 
Taciuto, been silent. Taccio, I am silent ; ?«ci, &c. 
Tacciamo, we are silent, &c. Tacqui, I was silent ; wi «o» 
faciw^o, I have been silent. 7\zci, be silent ; taccia, &c. 
Tenere, to Hold. 
Tengo, I hold; fzem, — , teniamo, — , &c. Tenni, I 
held. Terrb, I will hold. Terrei, I would hold. Tieni, 
hold ; tenga, &c. 

* As this verb is always followed by another in the infinitive, so, if the 
latter admit of the object, the auxiliary of potere is averc; if not, it ought 
to be essere. 

Pp 



390 
Togliere, or Torre, to Take. 

Tolto, taken. Toglio, or tolgo, I take ; togli, — , &c. 
Tolsij I took. Toglierd, or torro, I will take. Toglierei, or 
torrei, I would take. Togli y take; toiga, or toglia, &c. 

Trarre, or Traere^ to Draw. 

7V*«enc?o, drawing. TVa^^o, drawn. T^'ag^go, I draw ; <ra«, 
• — , traiamo, or traggiamo, traete, &c. Traeva, I drew. 
Trassi, I drew. Trarrd, I will draw. Tr arret, I would 
draw. Trai, draw ; tragga, &c. Traessi, that I might 
draw. 

Valere, to be Worth. 

Valgo, or vaglio, I am worth; «;aZi, — , vagliamo, &c. 
FaZs-t, I was worth. Varrb, I will be worth. Varrei, I 
would be worth. FaZt, be worth ; valga, or vaglia, &c. 

Vedere, to See, 
Fec?o, veggo, or veggio, I see, &c. ; tjec^i, — , vediamo, 
or veggiamo, — , &c. Fic?i, I saw. Vedrb, I will see. 
Vedrei, I would see. Fec?i, see ; «jec?a, vegga, or veggia, &c. 

Volere, to Wish. 
Voglio, or iJo% I wish; iJitoi, vuole, or i;wo% vogliamo, 
— , vogliono. Volli, I wished. Vorrb, &c. Vorrei, I 
would. C/ie voglia, that I will, &c. 



IRREGULAR VERBS OF THE THIRD CONJUGATION*. 
These verbs are all conjugated by the verb wmVe, 
which is irregular only in the present tenses, the first 
and second plural persons of which are regular. 

* In this conjugation there are only the following regular verbs : 



Aprire, 


- to open. 


Partire, 


- 


to depart. 


Avvertire^ 


warn. 


Pentire, 


- 


repent. 


Compircy 


accomplish. 


ServirCy 


- 


serve. 


ConvertirCf 


convert. 


Sentircy 


- 


feel. 


Dormire, 


sleep. 


Tossirey 


- 


cough. 


Fuggire, 


- fly. 


Vettircy 


- 


vest. 



291 
Unire, to Unite. 

Present. 
Indicative. Unisco, I unite; unisci, unisce, uni^ 

scono. 

Imperative. Unisci, unite ; unisca, uniscano. 

Subjunctive. Che unisca, that I unite,- che unisca, or unischi, 

che unisca, che uniscano. 

The verb apparire, to appear, has the double forms, 
apparisce, or appare, he appears ; appariscono, or ap- 
paiono, they appear. 

The verbs, aprire, to open ; coprire, to cover; sco- 
prire, to discover ; have, in the perfect, the two forras, 
aprii and apersi (the latter is most used), I opened, &c. 
The participle is aperto. 

There are some of these verbs which, in the present 
tenses, have two forms, as abborrire, to abhor, which 
makes abborrisco or abborro. 



VERBS OF THE THIRD CONJUGATION, 

W^HICH HAVE PECULIAR IRREGULARITIES. 

Morire, to Die. 
Morto, dead. Muoio, I die ; muori, — , moiamo, — , &c. 
Morrb, I will die. Morrei, I would die. Muori, die ; 
muoia, &c.* 

Salire, to Mount. 
Salgo, I mount, &c. ,• sagliamo, &c. Sali, mount ; saiga, &c. 

Segutre, to folio vr. 
Seguo or sieguo, I follow ; segui or siegui, — , se- 
guiamo, — , seguono or sieguono, Seguiva, I followed. 
Seguii, I followed. Segui, or siegui, follow ; segua, or 
siegua, &c. 

* The other persons are to be found, by tke method given for the irre- 
gular verbs of the second conjugation. 

p p 2 



292 

Udire^ to Hear. 
Odo, I hear ; odi, — , udiamo, — , odono. Udiva, I heard ; 
udii, I heard. Udird, I will hear. Udirei, I would hear. 
Odi, hear ; oda, udiamo, &c. Udissi, that I mig-ht hear. 
Uscire, to Go out. 
Esco, I g*o out; esci, — , usciamo, — , escono. Usciva, 
I went out. Uscii. Uscird, &c. Esci, go out ; esca, uscia- 
mo, &c. 

Venire, to Come. 
Venuto, come. Vengo, I come : vieni, — , &c. Venni, I 
came. Verrd, I will come. Verrei, I would come. Vieni, 
come; venga, &c. 

DEFECTIVE VERBS. 

Gire, to g-o. Gito, g-one. Gite, you g-o. G'^^;a, or gia, 
I went ; givi, giva, or g^a, givamo, givate, givano, or giano. 
Gisti, thou wentest ; g^, or gio, he went ; gimmo, we went ; 
g«s^e, you went ; girono, they went. Gird, I will g-o ; gira, 
he will g^o ; giremo, girete, giranno. Girei, I would g-o, 
&c. Gite, go. Che gissi, that I mig-ht go, &c. 

Ire, to go. Ito, gone, /^e, you go. Iva, he went ; ivano, 
they went. Iremo, we will go ; iVe^e, iranno. Ite, go. 

Riedere, to return. Riedi, thou returnest ; riede, he re- 
turns. Riedano, let them return. 

Olire, to be perfumed. Oliva, I was perfumed ; oZ««;i, 
oZiva, olivano, 

Calere, to care. Caluio, cared. ilf» caZe, I care ; ^i caZe, 
thou carest ; gli cale, he cares ; vi cale, you care. Mi caleva, 
I did care ; ti caleva, gli caleva, &c. Mi calse, I cared ; ti 
calse, gli calse, &c. No7b ti caglia, non vi caglia, do not 
care. 

Solere, to be accustomed. Solendo, being accustomed. So- 
Zi7o, accustomed. Soglio, lam accustomed; suoli, suole, so- 
gliamo, solete, sogliono. Soleva, I was accustomed, &c. Eui 
solito, I was accustomed, &c. Che soglia, that I may be 
accustomed, &c, Che solessi, that I might be accustomed, &c. 



293 
INTRODUCTION 

TO THE 

PROMISCUOUS EXERCISES. 



Being fully sensible how erroneous it is for the 
Student to translate from English into Italian, without 
having previously acquired a pure and correct taste, I 
have prepared for him a set of Promiscuous Exercises, 
in which he will find some examples which may have 
been before omitted. 

To convince those who wish somewhat too early to 
commence Translation, without the assistance aiforded 
by the preparatory course of these Exercises, it is 
sufficient to show how the Student would write when 
possessed of the rules of grammar only, and confid- 
ing in the aid of his dictionary. I will suppose, for 
instance, that the following sentence is placed before 
him for translation : 

" The queen marched on with an easy pace, at- 
*' tended by her ladies and the three gentlemen, and 
" led by the music of nightingales, and other tuneful 
'' birds, along a path not much frequented, but en- 
" amelled with various flowers, which began to ex- 
" pand their bosoms to the ascending sun, and 
" directed their course full west." 

Allowing that he is perfectly familiar with the rules, 
he searches the dictionary for words alone, and will 
naturally make a translation somewhat in the follow^- 
ing manner : 

La regina marciava avanti con agevole passo, ac- 
compagnata dalle sue donne e dai tre gentiluomini, e 
condotta dalla musica di rosignuoli e altri armoniosi 
uccelli, lungo un sentiero non molto frequentato, ma 
smaltato divarjfiori die commciavano a spandere il loro 



294 

seno alio ascendente sole, e diress^ro il loro corso pieno 
occidente. 

This is, in ail probability, the style which he would 
adopt, and it would be impossible for him to acquire 
a better by the mere acquaintance with grammar. 
And I may here observe — 1. That, although I find 
the word marciare in the dictionary, it is not to be 
met with in the writings of good authors. — 2. The title 
Gentiluomo, is not the proper expression in the above 
case; the English word Gentleman, is more indiscrimi- 
nately applied than in Italian, wherein it is rather 
given to a person of noble birth. The word Signore 
is employed in familiar conversation, to express Gen- 
tleman, although erroneously; it rather signifies a lord, 
and it would not, in the present instance, answer 
the pnrpose. Signore is properly employed when pre- 
ceding the name of a person, as in English, Mister. — 

3. The words, musica, armoniosi, spandere, and seno, 
cannot be used as in this case. We say. Canto degli 
uccelli, not Musica; the epithet Armonioso is used for 
inanimate things only ; the metaphorical words Span- 
dere il seno, are not according to the Italian style. — 

4. The expression Pieno occidente, would not be un- 
derstood in Italian ; it is entirely an English idiom. 

One might say, that the correction of these errors 
should employ the attention of the Professor; but it 
wdll be enough for him to correct the grammatical in- 
accuracies ; for the Pupil cannot be perfected in gram- 
mar merely by having written the preceding Exercises, 
as I have supposed ; besides, corrections which regard 
the style, require sound judgment, taste, considera- 
tion, and time ; and very little can be accomplished in 
an hour. 

Let us now observe how differently Boccaccio ex- 
presses the same sentence: La reina adunque, con 



295 

leiito passo, accompagnata dalle sue donne e dai tre 
giovaniy alia guida del canto di forse venti usignuoli e 
altri uccelli, per una vietta non troppo usata, ma plena 
di verdi erbette e di fiori, li quali, per lo sopravvegnente 
sole, tutti 5' incominciavano ad aprire, prese il cammino 
verso Voccidente. 

T conclude, that it is necessary to have read and 
written a great deal of pure Italian, to form a good 
style ; and the best mode to attain it, is certainly the 
translation of these Exercises, wherein all words 
which might bear a wrong interpretation, are afforded, 
and the respective idioms supplied. The original of the 
above example being Italian, the English is somewhat 
congenial with it 3 yet is the supposed translation very 
bad. One may consequently imagine what it would 
be, were the original English. However, it is always 
the case when I meet with Pupils who have already 
studied ; they wish to translate, and present me with 
such translations as could not be understood, even were 
they correct with regard to grammar, and so little re- 
sembling good Italian, that I cannot refrain exclaiming 
against all who presume to teach, without possessing a 
competent knowledge of their subject. In writing a 
note, for instance, they think it good Italian to say: 

La Signorina N. presenfa i suoi complimenti al Si- 
grior B., e lo prega che voglia essere cost huono per 
lasciarle sapere se egli la pub attendere doinani, si come 
ella e ohhligata d'andar fuori di cittd il seguente giorno. 

Literally, " Miss N. presents her compliments to 
Signor B., and begs he will be so kind as to let her 
know whether he can attend her to-morrow, as she is 
obliged to go out of town on the following day." 

I have indeed seen such notes. But I must observe, 
first. That it is not customary with Italians, either to 



296 

put their names at the comtaencement of any note or 
letter whatever, or to affix any title to their own 
names ; and, secondly, Not one of those expressions 
is accordant with the Italian style ; nay, grammar 
itself is violated. Such a note should be thus written: 

SIGNOR B. 

Piacciale difarmi intendere, or la prego che mi voglia 
fare intendere se potrd darmi lezione domani, avendo io 
ad andarfuori di cittd, ilseguente giorno. Intanto, con 
distinta stima, sono, N. N. 

I must consent to address a gentleman in the third 
person feminine ; but I advise the Student not to be- 
stow indiscnmin'dtelj VostraSignoria, and all the titles 
of Ornatissimo, Gentilissimo, Stimatissimo, &c. as many 
Italians are in the habit of doing ; and to avoid as 
much as possible employing the feminine pronoun, 
viz. Se ella potrcL, The proper expression for " Present 
my compliments to," is Raccomandatemi a, although 
it is no longer in use; for it is my opinion, that if 
Riverire, Fare ossequj, and the like, are not yet obso- 
lete, it is high time that they should be discontinued. 

As in the following Exercises, I do not assist the Stu- 
dent by so many stars as I have done before, I advise 
him, at the end of every sentence, to read it over, that 
he may find out by himself, whether there is any fault, 
or any thing wanted ; as, for instance, in the expres- 
sion, I beg you will; wherein there are two words un- 
derstood, you and that, and which must be supplied in 
the translation, viz. vi prego che voi vogliate. In addi- 
tion, I promise that he will be delighted by the won- 
derful harmony of all those sentences, as it is the 
true beautiful Italian language which can alone fulfil 
his expectations. 



297 

PROMISCUOUS EXERCISES. 



EXERCISE I. 

1. Grammar has this property, that by its infinity, 

(4) (3) (1) proprietade (2) — infinitade 

the rays of reason >^cannot find any terminationX 
— — — — \ non terminarsi in parte / (2) 

therein. 

(1)* 

2. The young" man is son to Landolpho, brother to 

— — — figliuclo * Landolfo — * 

Gianni of Procida, by whose means you are lord of 
— — — — * opera — — signor — 
this island. 

3. I am forced to do two things very contrary to my 
* convenire * — — — molto — -— — 

temper ; first to commend myself, and then to 
costumi Vunajia * — — — Valtra * 

blame other people. 

4. He could g-ive you no truer nor better advice. 

potere — — * — — — consiglio 

5. Not being- able to shake off my love, nor to 

— — non che cacciare (3) (4) ma(l) 

lessen it, and seeing- it is too g-rievous to be 

diminuire(l) — essendomi — grave * 

borne, I have resolved to die. 

comportare — — eleggere — volar morire 

6. The g-ood woman, finding- that he was still 

— — femmina sentire — — — ancor 
fasting, set her coarse bread, with some 

digiuno apparecchiare — duro (2) pan ( I ) — alcun 

fish and water, before him. 

7. He inquired how she found herself, and if 
— domandare * — * (2) parere(3^ star (l^ — — 

she thought she was strong enough to ride. 
credersi * * — * cavalcare 



298 

8. There is no one but must allow that he did 

sarcL * * dire — — avere 

a very noble action ; but to say that nothing- greater 
magmficamente opei^ato — * — — piu non 
may be done, the contrary, perhaps, will not be 

* * - - (3) (1) (2) 
difficult to be shown, 

— * mostrare 

9. Such as they find to be firm and constant in all respects^ 

** — — ^00 — — — a — caso 
them do they make worthy of the greatest rewards. 
* — — — — alto * merito 

10. I will not have you wonder at my advice and my 

disposition. 

11. Who but myself, could so soon have caused such 

— altri che * * — — * cosifatto 

a lady to fall in love ? 
t donna innamorare 

12. Understanding- by her, that nobody knew where she was 

sentire — — — — — — — * 

but the persons who had broug-ht the clothes to her, 

* coloro — — portare — panni — — 
and the labourer that was there, she was a little 

— — — — — presents — — 
comforted. 

riconfortarsi 

13. You must know, that it is very difficult for me 

— — — — _ molto malagevole * — 

to raise a thousand pounds, because I cannot g-et 
* trovare — — — — — — avere 

what I am promised. 
* * 

14. Having- stepped to the door, he said. Here I am 

accostarsi — — uscio — * 

Madam ; for Heaven 's sake, open, for I am ready 
Madonna (2) Dio (3) (1) che — mi 

to die with cold. 
muoio * — 

t I think it necessary again to caution the student, that I put a trace 
under this particle, whether it is to be translated or not. 



299 

15. Then she told her that her name was Carapresa, and 
allora — — — — avere nome — — 

that she was servant to some Christian fishermen. 

— — servire certo (2) (1) 

16. The principal of the house was a youth, who spent 

— maggior — — — — — giovane — — 

his whole time in fowling- and hunting*. 

— — — — uccellare — cacciare 

17. Being desirous of retrieving- what he had lost, he 

— — riscuotere — — — 

went to his friend, and finding- him fast asleep, 
andarsene — — — — vedere — dormir forte 

he took / all the money \ out of his purse, 
trarre \quanti denari avea/ (3) (1) * (2) 

and returned to play. 

— tornarsene — giocare 

18. He took Alexander by the feet, and drew him out, 
— prendere — — — tirare — — 

and hoisting him upon his shoulders, he went on 

— levare * — in su — — andarsene 

towards Francis' house. 



19. Thou saidst that thou wert the person that last nig-ht 

— — — — — colui — * — 

had slain the man, and now here comes another, 

— uccidere — — — or (2) (3) questi(l) 

who says it was not thou, but he, that has done it. 
e — *00 — — — — — uccidere — 

20. I hold it advisable for us to return 

— giudicare che convenevole cosa sia * tornarsi Id 

whence we departed. 

— partirsi 

21. Perceiving- now the night coming upon him, and not 

vedere — — sopravvenire — — 

knowing what to do, he tied his horse to an oak tree, 

— — farsi — — — querela 

and got up into it. 

— montare (2) su (\) vi 

Q q 2 



300 

22. He had her brought before him, and said, " By the 

* — venir dinansi * — — — 

Pope 's leave, I may quit you, and take 

— — concession — — lasciare — — pigliare 
another wife/' 

— donna 

23. I know well that nothing* could have happened 
— — — — cosa non potere — aiwenire 
which might have given ray lady so much 

— (2) dispiacere (3) madonna{4) (1) 
uneasiness. 

24. W^hoever departs from this, I hold worthy not 

— partirsi (S) (1) (2) — estimare — — 

only of great reproof, but severe chastisement. 
— — grave riprensione — aspro castigamento 

25. I intend to teach you how to behave as a wife, and 
— voter e * — — * d' esser — - — — 

others, how to choose and keep one. 

— * — saper torre — tenere la 



EXERCISE II. 



\ . You return home with your hands in your pockets, when 
— — — — • — — spenzolato — 

you ought to be at work. 

— — — — lavorare 

2. The holy man was delighted with these 
*(5) (6) (7) piacere(3) molto (4) (1) 

expressions, and esteemed them proofs of a well 
parola (2) — par ere * argomento * 

disposed mind. 

3. You, simple woman! you will have him for your husband, 

* sciocco — — * — — — — 

who is not worth one farthing in the world ? 

— avere — cosa — 



301 

4. Accept this young- lady, whom thou thinkest my spouse, 
prendere costei — — credere — — 

and her brother, as thy children and mine. 
* - (3) (I) (2) 

5. She now inquired who was the g-ood woman who 

— appi^esso domandare — * — — femmina — 

spoke Italian so well. 
(3) (2) (1) 

6. Let us go down stairs to the door ; you shall stand 

— giu insino — — uscio — starsi 

still; and whilst I speak to him, you shall hear what 
cheto — — — * — — — iidire — 

he says. 
* 

7. I am an inferior servant of Nathan, who have 

— — — piccolo sey^vitor — — — * 

grown old in his service, and yet We never promoted me 
invecchiarsi con lui * — trarre — 

to any thing- more than what you see me. 

— altro — -— — — 

8. It happened one day, as he was passing- from one 
avvenire che — — * (2) passare{\) — — 

farm to another, that he entered a 

possessione — — — — 

pleasant g-rove. 
boschetto 

9. At a proper time, the thing- shall be made public, 

a luogo e tempo (3) fatto(4) *(1) manifestare (2) 

which, if they approve of, it will be well ; if 
* — * piacere* stare — — 

otherwise, it will be done. 
non — pur — 

10. The night was so gloomy and dark, that he could not 

— — — — buio — *oscuro — — — — 

know where he went. 
discernere — andarsi * 



302 

11. Had I been willing to vary from the truth of the fact, 
* — volere scostarsi — — — — 

I could have disguised and related it under different 
— * * comporre — raccontare — — altro 

names. 



12. This may be done only by a person who has 

— non — * — se non -— — — di 

great presence of mind ; for it must be done 

sicuro animo percid che convenire * — 

in the night, in a solitary place, and without 
di _-. _ _ (2) luogo{\) — — 

company. 

13. It was, and is your desire, that I take a 
— v' e piaciuto — piacere — — togliere — 

wife; I have disposed myself to it, rather to please 

— — * — — * pill — compiacere 

you, than out of any liking I had to 

— — * desiderio * — *(3) di(l) 

matrimony. 
moglie (2) 

14. You are much to blame for it ; for nothing 

— — — * — percid che niuna cosa 

should be kept so clean as the sacred temple, 
convenire * ~ netto — — santo — 

wherein we offer sacrifice to God. 

— * rendere — — — 

15. Certainly, my friend, I perceive that I know how 

— (2) (1) — avvedersi — — — * 

to do what I will, better than any other man. 



16. Reason requires, that he who stands in need of 
— volere — * — aver bisogno — 

another's guidance and protection, be obedient, subject, 
* governo — aiuto — — — 

and respectful to his ruler. 
— reverente con — governatore 



303 

17. If their ways appear in such a light to me, that I 

— — maniera * tale — — — — 

may be able to comprehend by them, that your reli«rion 

- (3) (I) *(2) fede 

is better than mine, as you have endeavoured to 
* — — — — — — ingegnarsi — 

persuade me, I will then do what 1 have promised. 
dimostrare — — — — — 

18. She fell down the ladder, and broke her thigh. 

— — in terra {Z)* (X) (2) — — * — 

19. They are willing to have a more certain trial of 

— — — — — esperiensa — 

thy virtue, than it w^as possible for thee to show 

— — — quella che * potere da — — 

within the limits of thy father 's house. 
dentro a — termine — — — 

20. They had got their arms above deck, and 

— — trarre — — — coperta — 

prepared for defence. 
apparecchiarsi di difendersi 

21. They had scarce rode more than two miles, when 

non * guari cavalcare — — — — che 

they came in sight of a little castle. 

— vedersi vicini — — * — 

22. Without changing countenance or resolution in any 

— mutare viso — proponimento -^ — 

respect, she said : My lord, I shall entirely acquiesce. 
atto — — (2) (1) — essere del tutto contento 

23. Before I commend you to God 's providence, 
prima che — accomandare — — — 

1 beg you, by the love and friendship existing 

— — — — quello — — * — che essere 

between us, to be mindful of me always. 
— — che ricordarsi (4) (2) (3) (1) 

24. I know you are a chilly fellow; but the weather 

— — — — — assiderato — — freddo 

is not very cold, although there be a little snow. 

— — — grande perch^ * — — 



304 

25. Each of us has had his day, and his share of honour, 

— — — giornata — — parte — — 

which at present rests in me. 

— or a dimorare (3) (1) (2) 

26. Without saying- to any one what he was come about, 

. — — — perM *(3) ire(\) vi (2) 

he beg-an to examine narrowly into the manners 
(2) (3) riguardare{4) cauto*(l) * — — 
of the pope, the cardinals, and other prelates. 

27. He was afraid that he mig-ht not be received, because he 
— temere * — — — — 

was too young and handsome. 
— — — — appariscente 

28. These fellows, finding him to be a merchant, and 

* vedere — — — — 

supposing, therefore, that he must have money about 
stimare per cid * dovere portar — 

him, resolved among themselves, as soon as an 
— ~ * come prima — 

opportunity offered, to rob him. 
tempo vedersi* — — — 



EXERCISE III. 



1. Agilulf, king of the Lombards, fixed the seat of 

— — ^ Longobardo fermare — soglio — 

his kingdom, as his predecessors had done, at Pavia, 

— regno si come — — — — * — 

a city in Lombardy. 

2. Having returned those things to the woman that had 

— io rendere * — femmina — — 

brought them, that she should carry them back to him, 

recare — — rip or tare — — — 

and having given her an angry farewell, I feared 

— — — — brutto commiato temere 

afterwards, lest she might keep them herself, 
poi che — * tenere — per — 

and tell him I had received them. 



305 

3. You know that i have no women in my house^ who 

are able to set out the rooms^ and do many other 
sapere acconciare — camera ne — — — 

thing's which are required. 

— — * richiedere 

4. The sig-ht of this g-arden, its form and contrivance, the 

— veder — — — bello ordine — 

trees, and the fountain, with the streams proceeding" 
pianta — — — — — ruscelletto — 

from it, pleased /the gentlemen and ladies \ 

— * — \ — giovane — donna ) (2) 
very much. 

(1) 

5. Doest thou not see I am thy Richard, come here to pay 

whatever ransom this g-entleman might demand, in 
cid che (2) (3) volere(\) — 

whose house we are now, to have thee back with 
(2) (1) — riavere — (2) 

me? 

(1) 

6. Nothing has made me keep my love a secret 
nulla cosa — — — tenere — — nascoso 

so much, as what I have observed in many people, 
* V essermi avvedere{A) (\) (2) persona(3) 

that when they grow into years, they forget 

— poi che — essere attempato dimenticarsi 

that they ever were young. 
d' essere stati — 

7. I beg that you will send a person to Sicily, 
— — — — mandare* alcuno — * — 

to learn the state of the country. 
il quale informarsi * di — — paese 

8. My servant has in him such nine qualities, that if 

— fante * tali (3) (1) (2) — — 

any one of them be either in Solomon, Aristotle, 
qualunque — — — — Salomone * Aristotele 
or Seneca, it would have the power to confound all 

— — — forza — guastare ogni 

their philosophy, all their virtue, and all their sanctity. 

— senno — — — — — — 

R r 



30G 

9. It chanced that a young* woman in the neight)Qurhoo(f^ 
avvenire — — femminetta * — contrada 

with whom he was much enamoured, came into the 
* — — — forte — entrare — — 

kitchen, and seeing* the crane, earnestly begged that 

— — — — gru caro* * — — 

he would give her a leg. 
* — coscia 

10. Though I was in the midst of a great fire, I was all 

_ _o 0— — — — 

over in a tremble for fear; which one /that 
tremare(S} * (1) paura(2) * (2) \ — 
stood by my side,\ beholding, said, " What hast 
essere a * lato/(S) vedere (1) * — — 

thou done more than the others, that thou quakest 
— — — — ^ — — — — tremare 

in the fire?" 
stando — 

11. I would say nothing to you last night, because you 
— volere — cosa niuna — — — sera percid die — 

seemed to be tired; but tell me, which of your 
mi par ere stanco — — — * — — 

servants do you believe to be the most faithful, and 
famigliare — avere per — — leale — * 

which he who loves you most? 
* - *(3) (2) (1) 

12. Madam, it would seem no strange thing to any 

— — dovere esser * maraviglia — — 

considerate person that I am in love, especially with 
savio — — amare * — * 

you, because you deserve it. 
• — pero che — valere il 

13. After these affectionate greetings were repeated 
poi che le liete accogliensa — iterare 

over and over, to the great joy of the 
tre e quattro volte * — letizia — — 

beholders, they related /to each other\ their 
circostante nai^rare (^5) \ * ' (1) (3) 

several misfortunes. 
ogni (2) accidente (4) 



807 

14. He beg'an in a friendly manner to entreat him to 

(3) amichevolmente{\) (4) pregare{6) (2) che 

renounce the errors of Judaism, and embrace the 
lasciare — — — fede giudaica — ritornare * — 

truth of Christianity. 
— cristiana 

15. Presently ordering seats to be brought out of his 
di present e (2) * (1) panca * venir difuor da * 

bake-house, he begged them to sit down. 
forno G pregare — che sedere 

^6. She took no more notice of him than she 

fare (S) (1) altramenti(2) motto * — — 

would have done of any stranger that should come into 
(2) (1) * unforestiere — * — 

her house. 
(2) (1) 

17. After I had been there for some time, 
poi che (5) dimorare(fi) (4) (\) alquantoi^) (3) 

and learnt a little of their language, 

t * apparare(6) alquanto (V) (2) (3) (4) 

they inquired of me who I was, and from whence I 

came ; and I answered, that I was daug'hter to a 

gentleman of Cyprus. 
— — Cipri 

f At the time of Boccaccio, the conjunction e was written as in Latin, e/, 
whether followed by a vowel or not. Some editors did not take the liberty 
of changing it afterwards; because, in the expression, for instance, Et 
acconciossi et andossene^ they could not know (had Boccaccio employed the 
modern orthography) whether e or ed would have been preferred by him. 
Now, as the sound of the vowels c, a, is more agreeable to the ear 
when they come in immediate contact with one another, than when they 
are separated by a </, I would write, E acconciossi e andosse^ie. I have 
/observed in an edition of some of the novels of Boccaccio, printed in Lon- 
don, that the d is always added to the e, when followed by a vowel ; but 
I myst caution the student that it should rarely be adopted, excepting in 
case of the conjunction being followed by an e at the commencement of the 
next word. 

R r2 



308 

18. Madam, /it ill becomesx / a poor young- woman like 
madama\Ononstarbene/{2)\f damigella come 

myself, who is driven from her own house, and 
io sono cacciare di (2) (1) — 

' subject to other people ^s will, N to think 
che dimori — * servigiol (V) * attendere 

of love. 
* 

19. Remembering" the ring of value which he had heard 

ricordatosi * — (2) c«ro(l) — — udire{2) 

them speak of, as soon as he was got down, 
(1) dire — — discendere — cost 

he took it off the archbishop 's fing-er, and put 
trarre — di (3) (4) a (2) (1) — mettere 

it on his own. 

— a se 

20. Taking- away what few effects we were able (I call 

prendere * — — cosa * potere prendere dire 

them few, with reg-ard to the abundance we 
— per rispetto — — molte * — 

were possessed of), and leaving- our estates and 
avere — lasciare * * terra — 

palaces, we took shelter in this town. 
palazzo rifuggirsene (^4) (1) (2) terra (3^ 

21. He is now g-rown so audacious and impudent, that 

— — diventare — ardito — sfacciato — 

yesterday he sent a woman to my house with 
— mandare — femmina in * — — 

his stories and nonsense. 
— novella — frasche 



EXERCISE IV. 



1. Do you think now, that I can make people dance 
* parere — sapere — uomini carolare 

without the music either of trumpets or bag-pipes ? 
— suono * — tromha — cornamusa 



t See page 187, 4th and 5th cxamplcj!;. 



309 

2. I should have been very g'lad, since fortune has sent you 
* essere — * cai^o poiche — — — — 

hither, that, what time we have to live, we mi^ht have 
lived tog-ether. * * 

3. Had I known where to have sent this money, 1 

* — — — * mandarvi — danari — 

would have sent it after you ; but as I did not, I 

— — — * sapere 

kept it carefully for you. 
guardare — * 

4. It has often been shown in our discourses, 
— * molie volte * — — — ragionamento 

how g-reat /the force of love\ is. 

guanto e quale V — forze — — / (2) * (1) 

5. I am to pursue her in this manner as many 
* convenire * seguitare — — — guisa * 

vears as she was cruel to me months. 

* ~ — (2) (3) (6) controa{A) (5) (1) 

6. What do you think of this base woman, on whom I 

— * parere — — reo femmina * — — 

had already fixed all my hopes ? 
— ' — porre speranza 

7. What would people say of you, if you did it ? 



8. Thou sorry fellow! wilt thou kill thy mule? 
deh * cattivo volere — uccidere — mulo 

Why dost thou not try to lead her gently? 

— — — ingegnarsi — menare — piano * 

She will g"o better in that manner than by beating- 
— venire piu tosto — * bastonare 

her as thou dost. 

9, I do not intend to treat you as I would do another 
- - (2) (1) 

person that might fall into my hands, from whom I 

would take what 1 please. 
prendere — * parere* 



310 

10. I would have you consider my necessity, and then give 

— * — — — bisogno — — 
me what you please. 

— — — volere* 

11. Soon afterwards a new fancy came into his head, 
poco appresso — — pensier entrare — * animo 
apd that was, to make, a trial of her patience by a long- 

6 cid e — voter provare — — * — — 
proof and intolerable things. 
esperiensa — (2) (1) 

12. O, my brother, art thou alive ? It is some time since I 

— — f^^citel — — — — — buon — * — 
heard thou wast lost. 

intendere — — — 

13. A servant immediately kindled a fire, and laying 

— famigliare prestamente — — porre * 

the pan upon the trivet, and putting oil therein, he 

— — — — — — mettere * — vi 

waited till they should throw him 

cominciare ad aspettare che gittare — 

some fish. 
* 

14. From this register, the brokers are informed both of the 

— — libro — — informarsi * — — 
quantity and quality of the goods which are there, 

— — — — — mercatansia — — — 
and also who are the merchants who possess them, 

— ancora — * — mercatante — avere — 
with whom they treat of exchanges, trucks, and 

— — — ragionare — cambio baratto — 
sales. 

vendita 

15. The magnanimous man always exalts himself in his 

(2) (3) (1) magnijicare — 

heart; on the contrary, the pusillanimous 

— e cost per (3) (4) (1) (2) 
always considers himself less than he is. 

— tenere — — — — * — 

16. To the magnanimous pian, bis own things appear 

— — — — — apparire(^2) 
always better than they are, and those of others, 

(1) »« _ — — /e * 

inferior. 
men buono 



311 

17. Love is not born, /grown old, and become t perfect\ 

(4) (1) (3) \farsigrande — venire — /(5) 

in an instant ; but it requires some time and some 
subitamente (2) — volere (2) (1) — 

encourag-ement of thoug-hts. 
nutrimento — — 

18. The abbot answered, that he was strong- enough, and 

— — — — — — — assai — di 

his stomach perfectly healed, and he would be quite 

— — hen guarire — * — * 

well, whenever he should be out of his clutches. 

— qualora — mano 

19. Seeing-, by her dress, that she was a Christian, she 
conoscere a I' abito — — — — — 

inquired of her, how it happened that she had arrived 
domandare * — essere * — — *(2) (3) 

(there in the boat all alone. \ 
— — quello barca cosl soletto^ (1) 

20. Consider what a difficult matter it is for a man, to 

— quanta — grave cosa — * 

find out a person who may well agree with his 
poter trovare * — convenire — — 

manners. 
costume 

21. One should not, from cowardice, be afraid of that 

* volere — * viltdd'animo * — — 

which has not yet happened. 

— — — ancora intervenire 

22. Were it known that I had fixed my affection upon 

* — * * innamorarsi * 

him, I doubt not that people would reckon me a fool. 

— — — — — gente * reputare matta 

23. There are few houses in the world, wherein she has 

— (3)(1) (2) per- - * _ • 
not some jurisdiction. 



f These three verbs must be, in Italian, in the simple present. 



312 

24. She had a frying'-pan upon her left shoulder^ and 

— — (5) padella{6) (1) (2) (4) (3) — 

under the same arm a fag-got of wood, with a 

— quel (2) (1) — fascetto — — e (4) 

trivet in her hand; in the other hand she had a bottle 

(5) (1) (2) (3) — -— utel 

of oil and a lighted torch. 
— — acceso(2) facellina(\) 

25. What is it then, quoth the g-ood woman, that you 

desire him to do ? 
* * 



EXERCISE V. 



l./I took them out of her hand\ /in g-reat rag-eA 
\0 togliere le — * — J QlyKpiena di sti^sa) (l) 

and have now brought them to you, that you may 

— — recare — — — accid che — 

give them to her again, and tell her that I do 
rendere — — — — — — aver 

not want any thing. 

— bisogno di — — 

2. Shuddering with rage and passion, he was going 
fremere(J)) (1) ira(2) (3) cruccio(4) — — 

with intent to put them to a shameful death. 
hsto — fare — vituperosamente morire 



3. ''Does any one ever return thither?" "Yes," said the 

(4) (3) (1) (2) t 

monk. *' Oh !" quoth the other, " if that be my case. 



I shall be the best husband in the world." 

+ Sly literally, signifies so^ and is, according to the Latin manner of 
affirming, ita. 

X This Anglicism cannot be translated in Italian, but by repeating the 
first expression implied herein. In this case, the former expression is, 
Does any one return thither ? which, if repeated in the latter, should be. 
If I return thither. 



313 

4. Pasimnnda had a brother, beneath him in years, but not 

— — minor — di tempo — — 

in virtue, called Ormisda. 

5. Emilia, not so much for the honour conferred upon her, 

— — — di — — fare * 

as for hearing herself commended on account of that 
sentire — commendare — — 

which ladies most of all covet, blushed 

— donna piu(2) esser(^i)vago(3) vergognarsi(2) 

a lit'Ie: and such appeared herface, as vermillion 
alquanto{\) — tale divenire in — viso * (3) 

roses are / in the morning•.^ 
(4) (2)\in su — aurora /(I) 

6. I intend to restore (to you) in one hour, what I 

— — — rendere — — a — — — — 

took away from you in many. 
togliere(4) vi(3) fra{\) (2J 

7. Should it ever be known that we ^\exe the 

* -— — * risapere — — — stati 

persons, we should be in the same danger that he 
— — a quel — pericolo — (2) 

is now in. 
(1) 

8. The boat was brought within a hundred miles of 

— barca — portare hen — — — sopra 
Tunis, to a strand near the city of Susa. 

— — — piaggia — — — — — 

9. Be not ashamed of thy design of cutting me oflf, to 

vergognarsi — aver voliito uccidere — — 

become more famous, nor think I am surprised 
divenir — — — credere — maravigliarsi 

at it. 
* 

10. The greatest monarchs, by no other art than 

— grandissimo re * (-) non(^\) — — — 
that of killing, not one man only, as you would 

— — — — — — — volere 

have done, but infinite numbers, and by destroying 
fare — — — ardere i 

s s 



314 

countries, and razing* cities, have enlarg-ed their 
paese — abhattere — — ampliare (S) (1) 

king-doms, and, consequently, their fame. 
regno (2) — per conseguente — — 

11. Your flatteries shall never blind my under- 

— lusinga ora non adomhrare * occhi dello 
standing", as your fair promises once 
intellelio — (3) disleale(ji) promissione (6) gm(l) 
did. 

(2) 

12. Have you observed where this man is gone to lose the 

— — vedere — * — venire — — — 

wisdom that he has brought from Paris ? 
senno — — ci — recare — — 

13. He made a certain motion with his lips, which 

— — — atto — — bocca — 

Saladin, when he was at his house in Pavia, had 
— essendo — (2) (1) — — — 

taken particular notice of. 
moUo notare 

14. Two young men ask king- Solomon's advice ; the 

— — domandare — ■ a Salomone consiglio — 

one to know how he should behave to be beloved, the 

— — potere * — , — — 

other how to manage a shrewish wife. 

— — potere castigar la ritroiio(2) (1) 

15. Fool that thou art, why hast thou ruined both thy 
hestia — — — — -^ — guastare * — 
affairs and mine? Thou art poor, but it would be 
fatto — — — — — ■— — — 

a mercy if thou wert yet poorer. 

— — che — — molto piu 

16. That I may have nobody to blame 

accib che — potere altrui (3)0 dolersi (1) di (2) 

but myself, I will be myself the finder. 

* — — *^o?ere(2) (3) stesaoQ) — trovatore 

17. She found therein a very, old good man, with 

— — quivi — (3) attempato (4) (1) (2) — 

his wif^, who was old likewise. 

— donna — (2) vecchio(?i) similmente (\) 



315 

18. I will bring- yon to the house of a g-ood Saracen 
— menare — — — — — Sarac€no(2) 

lady, to whom I will recommend you, and I am 
donna (^l) — — — — — — 

sure she will receive you. 
certo — — — 

19. We will go there with you, and he will tell you 

immediately w^hat you have to do. 
incontanente — — * 

20. He began to say to himself, What a fool am I ! 

Whither am I going? 

21. Let themt first set the example, and then 

(3) in prima (2) fare (1) poi 

teach others. 
ammaestrare — 

22. Plucking some of the fairest fruit and flowers 
far * coghere * — — bello frutli — * — 

that there were, he sent them privately to his lady. 
— — — (3) *(1) occulto'^(2) donna 

23. I should never be able to tell you what quantity 

— (2) (1) dire — quanta sia 

of wax is burnt at these suppers, any more than 
la cera che * ardere — — — ne 

the great number of sweetmeats consumed, and how 
* confetto * — — come 

precious are the wines which are there drank. 
(2) *(1) _ _ _ _. 

24. /You will excuse me,\ Sir, perhaps it is not so 
V — perdonare — /(2) (1) — — — — — 

modest for me as you suppose, to gaze 

— cosa * — — — immaginarsi * guardare 

much upon you. 



t For the sake of contradistinction, the pronoun them must here be 
translated 5 with this difference, that in Italian it represents the subject. 

s s2 



316 

25. The worthy man, who was under g-reat concern for the 
— valoroso — * molto increscere * — 

pilgrim, willing-ly g-ave ear to his words. 
peregrino — — orecchi — — — 



EXERCISE VI. 



1. As the touch-stone proves gold, so adversity shows 
— — paragone — — — dimostrare 

who is a friend. 

2. In whatever part of the world we g-o, we shall find the 

year to be divided into. four parts. 

3. It would be improper to admit, that custom 
cosa (2) inconveniente (\) — concedere — usansaij) 

should have more force up^n little children 

* (3) ( 1 ) di valor e (2) in (4) (5) fanciullo (6) 

than wisdom upon grown persons. 

— senno — attempato 

4. If, /through the windows of a house,\ / a flame of 

(i)K - - - — - ;(3)( 

fire\ should visibly issue, should any 

— / (5) manifesto * (2) uscire (4) e — ■ 

inquire if fire be therein, and another answer 
domandare — (3) (2) lddentro(\) — — — 

him, that there is, I do not know which of them 

— di si — saprei * — costoro 

would be most laug"hed at. 
(2) (1) o?a schernire 

5. Theodore, overjoyed with your misfortune, is about to 

— lieto — — disavventura stare ^ 

celebrate his marriage with your Violante. 

f Occasionally, in these Promiscuous Exercises, I mark with an aste- 
risk, a difference of style, which the student can find out by himself, from 
iiaving written the first Exercises. 



317 

€. I will go and see whether it be the person I 
— volere — * — * ella * quella — 
think ; if it should, leave the whole to me. 
credere e — cost sard — far — — 

7. Be assured there is nobody who loves thee as much 
avere di certo * — — — — *(4) (1) 

as I do, considering- the greatness of thy soul. 
(2) (3) avere riguardo — — — (2) (1) 

8. These words touched /the king- 's mind \ 

— — pungere \ — — — animo/ (2) 
to the quick, and g-rieved him so much the more, 

amaramente {I) — ajffliggere (S) {2) * (0 

as he knew them to be true. 
* (3) (2) (1) 

^. You need not to be surprised at my fear ; for 

— dovere — maravigliarsi * — paura percid che 

there was nobody in this town but was fully persuaded 

— — — — — terra * creder fermamente 

you were dead. 
, * 

10. About break of day she heard a great noise of 

in sul far — — — sentire — — calpestio — 

people on horseback, on account of which (thing), 
ge7ite * cavallo * — — 

she immediately arose. 
subito * levarsi 

11. There are some who think they know more than other 

folks, and who yet know less. 
genii — — — 

12. One thing I beg you would clear up to me, viz. how 
di — — far * chiaro — — 

did you know that I was here ? 

13. I do not remember, since we were friends, that I 

— — — poi che fummo (2) (1) — — 

ever possessed any thing, but it was as much thine as 
avere (3) (l) (2) * 0(2) cost (I) — — 

mine. 



it, / I 
il I* 



31S 

14. As I can neither attend you myself, nor 
percib che — * — * accompagnare — — 

cause you to be attended, through the nature of the 

* . * 

journey you have to go, which does not admit of 
cammino — — — fare — — sostenere 

must therefore take leave \ of 

* convenire prender commiato' (6) (4) 

you here in your chamber. 
(5) (1) (2) (3) 

15. You know that you love no person, and that the 

entertainments you make are not for any love you 
onore — — gli fate — — * — — 

bear to others, but only mere pomp. 

portare{Z) (1) (2) — — 

16. This woman, such as I describe her, or perhaps 

— cotale * — disegnare — — • — 

yet more beautiful, appeared at this festival. 
assai — — — * — — 

17. Who is so much out of his senses as not to know, 

that it is vain to offer consolation to a miserable 
in vano darsi conforti — la — 

mother, whilst she beholds /the body of her dead 
— mentre che — vedere \ — — — — — 



son \ before her. 

Jigliuolo) (Z) davanti * — 



18. There is nothing- that I would not do, again 

(3^ niuna{\) cosa(2) — * 

to have him who has abandoned me. 
— riaver * — — — — 

19. Sending for a purse in which there were the very 
far si * venire — — — — * — quegli 

same florins that he had brought to her, she put it 

— — — — — — — — porre — 

into his hands, saying. Count if they are five 

— * mano — annoverare — e' — — 

hundred. 



319 

20. If you value your mistress, fortune has put her in 
— * esser caro — donna — — porre 

your hands. 

21. Having dined, and the weather being- very hot, he 

— — — (2) caldo{3) (1) grande 

desired a bed to be prepared for him, and w^eiit to 
* — — * acconciare * — andarsi — 

sleep. 



22. My friends, you urge me to do a thing which I was 

* * — stringers quello — — — 

fully resolved never to do. 
del tutto disporre * (3) (1) (2) 

23. I protest that, to procure the friendship of such an 
— giurare — — guadagnar — amicizia — — 

one as I take you to be, I would undergo 

uomo * — giudicare che — * — sofferirediricevere 

more than what you have already made 

maggiore ingiuria — — — — insino a qui — 

me suffer. 



24. She is younger, and has been tenderly educated ; 
— — — — in delicatezze allevare 

whereas the other was inured /to hardships 
one — — (2) stata{^)\* continue fatiche 



from a child. 



piccolinaJ (1) 



EXERCISE VII. 

1. Poverty is diseng-aged and free, and / (she) is 
— — ■ sp€dito(3) (2) libero(\) — V • — 

allowed to dwell \ / even in solitary places, 

lecito — abilare)(2) \ancora — solitudiue 
without fear. \ 
— paura)(\) 



320 

2. Wealth, full of a thousand anxieties, and loaded 

— — — sollecitudine — occupare (4) 

with as manyt chains, fears ambushes even in the 
(1) (2) (3) (5) ^insidia(6) (1) (2) 

strongest castles. 
fortissimo (3) rocca (4) 

3. Now it has pleased thy father^ that thou shouldest g-o 

— 0* — — — •— — andarsene* 

where I hope never to see thee again. 

— — — giammai — rivedere — 

4. What can we say then, but that divine 

— *(3) *(2) (4) (1) senon ■— anche (8) 

spirits may descend from Heaven into the meanest 
(9) piovere(5) (6) (7) (1) (2) povero (S) 
cottag-es, as royal palaces may produce such as seem 
casa (4) — nelle reali di * ■ — sarien 

rather adapted to have the care of swine, than the 

— degno — guardar — __ * aver 

government of men. 
signoria(3^ sopraQ) (2) 

5. Every one must justly please with such things 

— doversi meritamente dilettare * — — 

as he sees attended with rewards according to his 
a * — — seguitare i guiderdone secondo * 

wishes. 
affesipne 

6. Of all the women I ever saw, she is the one whose 



— — (2) (1) — — quella 



address and behaviour, setting aside beauty, which 
maniere — * abito lasciare stare bellezsa — 

is only a fading flower, are most to be 
— — caduco{1) (1) ~ — * 

commended and esteemed. 
— — aver caro 



t As this comparison has not been mentioned in its proper place, we 
must observe, that the second term is understood in both languages. The 
full construction is, "as many chains as those just mentioned ;" and in this 
case, the first term, as mani/, is rendered by altrettanto. 

X See page ^^y Rule II. 



321 

7. Know (thou) that 1 mig-ht go to every shop in London, 

— — — potere cercar tutta — 

and could not find another waistcoat which suits 

— potere — — — farsetto — stare* 

me so well as this. 

8. They were already arrived at the place where they 

— di gid giungere — — luogo — 

had before agreed to carry into 

(3) prima (\^ consigliarsi (2) — mandare * 

effect their perverse intention. 

— ~ pravo intendimento 

9. In a little time the doctor came, and having 
non stette guari che — medico — — .0 

sat down by him, he began to feel his pulse. 
po7'si a sedere allato t — — toccare * — 

10. I have imagined to make trial of them in a 

— — porsi in cuore — voter provare — — — 

certain affair, which I am confident they will shrink from. 
cosa — certo non fare 

11. It seemed that the more his hope decayed, the more his 

— parere — * la — mancare * (2) 
love increased^. 

(3) muLtiplicare (\) 

12. The lady, understanding that the goods he had 

— — udire — — mercatanzia — — 

brought were worth more than five thousand pounds, 
recare valere — * — — — 

thought of returning him the five hundred,, to get 
— — restituire — — — — — avere 

the greatest part of the five thousand. 

13. It is mere folly to suppose that such generosity 
(S) sciocco(l) cosa(2) * credere — — liberalitd 
can ever be compared to this. 

* * (3) (OCi) 

t See page 125, Rule II. 

X Of the two preceding verbs, that which depends upon parere^ must be 
in the subjunctive. 

T t 



322 

14. 1 consider it not only useful, but necessary, to 
— stimare die * — solamente — — — * 

wait for a proper time in every thing*. 
aspettar — debito (2) (1) ac? — — 

15. The lady then resolved that she would be 

— gentildonna allora deliberare di volere — 

the person who should acquaint him with/his daug-hter 
* — significare -— \ — Jigliuola 

being" come\ there. 

esser — /(2) guivi(^l) 

16. I will have you go to him, and if you can by any 
_ * * — (3) (1) (2) potersi 

means get quit of that promise, that you endeavour 
modo disciogliere * * — ingegnarsi 

to do it. 

17. He who considers well, may evidently see that few 

(4) (6) (5) (2) manifesto'^ (\) (3) — — 

are those who can reach the end 

rimanere — — * (6) pervenire (7) *(1) abito (2^ 

aimed at by alL 
consider are (5) (3) (4) 

18. I know the miserable life of those whom I 
0_— — ^___ — 

left behind me. 

ho (3) lasciati (4) dietro (1) * (2) 

19. When g-ood king- William ruled over Sicily, there 
al tempo che — — — reggere — 

lived in that island a gentleman named Amerigo, 
essere — — — — — chiamare — 

who, amongst his other temporal goods, was well 
— tra — — (2) bene{l) — (3) 

provided with children. 
fornito(4) * (1) figliuolo (2) 

20. I should have written such things of thee, that thou 

wouldest have torn out thy very eyes for 

— cavare — — per nan 

vexation. 
poterti vedere 



323 

21. Nobody ever came to my house, whom I did not 

— — capilare — (2) (1) — — — 

satisfy to the utmost of my power, as to what was 
contentare* — — — t — — 

required of me. 
domandare — 

22. (Thou) Tell my lady to have no care for me, 

— — donna che darsi — pensiero di — 

till she can come for me. 



EXERCISE VIII. 

1. Learning is the greatest perfection of our souls, wherein 

scienza — ultimo — * * 

lies our g-reatsst felicity. 
stare (2) ultimo (\) — 

2. Boetius considers the popular glory as vain, because he 
Boesio giudicare — — — X — — 

finds it without discretion. 
vedei'e — — — 

3. In order to/know the disposition of peopleX well, it 

a V — — natura — popoli/(2) (1) — 

is necessary to be a prince; and to know that 

bisognare * — — — — bene — 

of princes, it is necessary to be a private man. 
— — convenire popolare 

4. Men change their masters willingly, because they 

— mutare signore*(2) (1) 
think to be bettered ; and this opinion causes them to 

credendo migliorare — — credenza * — * 

take arms against their ruler. 
pigliar — contro a chi regge 

6. You who are to correct others, conquer yourself. 

— . — * (2) (3) (1) vincere — 

t See page 259, Rule VIII. 

J This particle, used in English after to consider, to look itpon, and similar 
verbs, is not translated, if they are rendered by gitidicare and tenere. 

T t 2 



324 

6. This brother of mine, who came to sup with me 

- - * - - (2) (3) (5) (4) 
last nig-ht, is not goings yet, but he will go 

(1) * — andarsene ancora — — andarsene 

soon, and then I will come directly, and open the 
tosto — — — incontanente * — 

door (to thee). 
— — 

7. Growing impatient to know who she was, and being 

ardere — — — — — — non 

unable any longer to contain himself, he asked 
potere * * — tenere — domandare 

her whether she was a citizen or a stranger. 

— — '■ — — — — forestiero 

8. Fortune, as if she had repented the injury done to him, 

— quasi * pentirsi di — — — — — 
created a new circumstance for his deliverance. 
— — — accidente — salute 

9. I am unable to furnish you with a thousand pounds, 
— non potere * servire — * — — — 

but with five hundred I can, if you think you 
— — — SI bene dove — credere* * 

will be able to return me them in fifteen days. 
potere t — rendere — — * — — 

10. The king 's manly generosity had been much 

' — — — virile magnificen^a — — — 

commended, excepting by such as bore him ill will 
— se non — * * volere — male 

upon some other account. 
* — 

11. Since you know not where Peter is, you shall abide 
poickh — — — (2) (1) — dimorare 

here with me, till I have an opportunity 

— — — infino a tanto che * venir * fatto 

of conveying you safe to Rome. 

•— mandare — sicuramente — ■ — 



t See page 213, Rule II., last paragraph. 



325 

12. If you promise me that, 1 will stay; but be sure to 

observe it. 

* 

13. In this. Fortune was favourable enough to him, could t 
— — — assai — — sapere 

he have set bounds to his desires. 
— — por modo — 

14. It is written, that the blind will guide the blind, 
— _ _ _ far suida{^)* {\) (2) 

and thus both shall fall into the ditch. 

— — amendue(2) (1) — — fossa 

15. So great was the sweetness of this thought, that it 

* — — dolces^a — — — — 

made me w4sh for death, to go where she was. 
— — disioso * — — — — — — 

16. He who, in this life, had seen much of the world, 

— — de' suoi di — — molte cose 

and was a person of good understanding, answered, 

— — — uomo — — sentimento — 

Gentlemen, I hold myself so much your friend, that 
signore — tenere — — — — — 

I shall do this, and any thing else, to please you. 

— — — — — — — — compiacere — 

17. Let no one wonder if these other reasons that 

(2) maravigliarsi(\) — — — — — 

I say we may have, are not entirely demonstrated. 
— (2) (1) del tutto — 

18. Give way to reason, curb thy inordinate appetite, 

— luogo — — raffrenare * — — 

moderate thy irregular desires, and direct thy 
temper are — nonsano(2) (1) — dirizza7^e{3) {4) 

thoughts to a different object. 
(5) (1) altro(2) 

19. They are the same whom you and many others have 

long believed that I caused to be cruelly murdoreJ. 
* stimare — — * * — ucctdcre 

t See page 209, on the Conditional, 3rd example. 



326 

20. I must tell you, that your lady, overpowered by the 

— saper — — — — donna vincere — — 
prayers and threats of her relations, is now 
priego — minaccia — — parente — 
married ag-ain, contrary to her own will, and this 
rimaritai^e (5) contra (I) (2) (3) volere(4) — — 

morning she is to g-o to her new husband. 

— ne dovere * — — — 

21. I am rich, and spend all my money in keeping 

_ — — — — * — mettere tavola 

and entertaining- my fellow-citizens ; and for all this, 
— onorare — cittadino — — — — 

I cannot find any body that loves me. 

— — — uomo — ben volere — 

22. Men 's understanding- consists not only in 
mortale — senno (2) (1) — — 

remembering" thing-s past, or knowing- the 
avere a memoria — preterito — — — 

present 4 but in being- able, bv both these means, to 

— — * saper e{b) (f) (2)* (3) cosa{4) — 

foresee what is to come, is judg-ed a very great 
antiveder le future — - reputare — — — 

proof of wisdom. 
senno 

23. I greatly commend the envy you bear to Nathan 's 
molto — — — — poriare — Natan — - 

virtue ; because, were there many of the same 
— percid che *(4) assai (5) (1) cost (2) 

principle, the world, which is very bad, would 
fatto (3) — — — — — miser 

soon grow better. 
tosto diventare buono 

24. She begs you will not be uneasy at waiting-. 

— pregare * increscere * — 

25. He was the most prudent and sharp-sig-hted man in the 

— — — - — savio — * avveduto — — — 

world. 



327 



EXERCISE IX. 

1. Every one has in his judg-ment the measures of the 

false merchant, who sells with the one and buys with 

— mercatante — — — * — — — — 
the other. 



2. He who examines /the actions of this man\ minutely, 
* V- J(2) (1) 

will find in him the characters of a ferocious lion 
— — — — natura* ferocissimo — 

and of a cunning- fox. 
— astutissimo — 

3. Who is the young lady, my lord? It is she, re|>lied 

— t monsignore * — * rispondere 

the king-, who has cured me with her medicines. 

4. I beg of every one, if the entertainment is not 
— pregare * tutti che — — convito fosse — 

so splendid as its fame requires, not 

tanto ' — — (2)* grida(3) convenire (^l) cheX — 
to ascribe the fault / to my will, but 



imputare (2) ogni (3) difetto (4) \ — — volere — 

inability. \ 
facultatej (1) 



to my inability. \ 



t Although modem Italians call a young lady signorina, the word is not 
authorized by good writers, and is used in familiar discourse only. Boc- 
caccio, who professes to have written in volgare Fiorentino, has never used 
this word ; he employs giovane, madamigella^ damigella. We may therefore 
imitate him, and be more correct even in conversation, by making use of 
the same words which he, whom we consider as our ruler in language, has 
authorized. The word ^wycwc cannot be applied to the person addressed, 
unless attended by another adjective. 

X Although this particle is already expressed at the commencement of the 
sentence, Dante has repeated it, because the verb imputare , which it go- 
verns, is separated by too many words to be influenced thereby. 



328 

5. There is not / a more noble or courteous manner of 

(3) (2) \— — lecito * — modo •— 

respecting- oneselfA than the paying- respect to 
fare onore (2) * (1) /(I) — onorare * 

one's friend. 

* 

6. It is not without reason that I say, this love makes its 
* * — — cagione * * — — (4) (5) 

operation in the mind. 
(6) (1)(2) (3) 

7. Several times they advised and entreated him to 

— — consigliare — * pregare • — che 

leave Ravenna, and g-o and live some where 
partirsi * — — — * dimorare * — luogo 

else ; for, by that means, he might lessen both his 
— perchb cost facendo scemare * — 

love and expenditure. 



8. He called her by name, and inquired where her 
— — — ' — — — * domandare — (2) 
father was. She modestly replied, My lord, he 

(3) (I) — vergognoso * risporidere * * — 
is in the house. 

9. You, with your friends armed, and myself, with 

— , — — compagno — — * — 

some of mine in whom I can confide, will 
alquanto * * — — — fidare 

in the evening- enter their houses. 
in sul far della sera — — — 

10. Putting his hand into his pocket, he found he had 
mettere * — — — — tasca trovarsi 
no money ; upon which he made a great uproar. 

* — di — — — il (2) romor (1) 

11. If, by chance, thou happen to go to a place where 
Ventura t incontrare * — Id — 

there are persons who appear to doubt thy 
* * — — ti par ere * — in — 

argument, do not lose courage. 
ragione — smarrirsi'* 

t See page 255, Rule II. 



12. He declared he had been robbed, and threatened to 

dire — — — . — — minacciare — 

have them all sent prisoners to Siena. 
* _- _ ^. (2) presi (] ) — — 

13. If it is discovered, you will be easily forg-iven; 
' — questo * scoprire * — leggiere'^ — 

but I, miserable man! shall be forced to bear the 

— * misero convenire * portar — ■ 

punishment of both my crime and yours. 
pena — * — peccato(3) (1) (2) 

14. It is the more pleasing- to me to have found a sister 
* caro * — — (2) (3) 

here, as I the less expected it. 

(I) * (2) (3) sperare(4) questo (I) 

15. Seeing- her so amiable and pretty, and hearing- her 

— 4 — — grazioso — avvenente — udire — 

speak so softly, unwilling-ly he 

(3) (I) dolce^{1) now (3) volendo{^) 

fell in love with her. 
accendersi (^b) (1) (2) 

16. It is my opinion, that such women as are 
nel mio giudicio cape — * — * partirsi(2) 

(not mild, compassionate, and docile, 

daW essere piacevole benevolo — pieghevole 

as Nature, custom, and the laws require,\ are 

— — - usanxa — — — volere /(I) esser 

deserving- of severe reproach. 
degno — rigido riprensione 

17. These people know each other, they love each other, 

* — * costoro — * 

and are both my husband 's friends. 

— (2) ciascuno(\) — — — — 

18. Ordering- very rich presents to be broug-ht, lie g-ave 

* — — dono * venire * — 

part to her, and part to him, and desired 

— — — — — — — — dar licensa (2 J 

them to do what was most agreeable to themselves. 
(1) _ *(2) (I) agrado(4) (3) 

u u 



330 

19. Do not turn thy arms ag-ainst a woman. 
volere — esercitare — forsa contro a — femmina 

20. Before many days are past, I will convince 
avanti che troppo — trapassare — fare per opera vedere 

you that, as 1 know how to conquer others, so I 
— — — "^ * vincere — 

am able to withstand myself. 

sapere — soprastare (3) a(l) (2) 

21. Were it not that it appears more reputable that 

* — — mi (3) (4) (1) onesto(2) — 

you should come to me at my house, than I g-o to 
_ t — ^ in (2) (1) — 

you at another person's, I should have come to you. 

22. I entreat that you would tell me how you can bear 

— pregare — — insegnare* — — — sofferire 

the insults which I hear are committed towards 

— ingiuria — — intendere — • fare a 

you, that I may patiently bear my own. 

— accio che — comportare — 

23. He sent me a purse and g-irdle, as if I had 

— — — — cintola quasi come — 

not any purses and girdles; at which I was 

— delle — — — — — avere 
very much offended. 

forte per male 

24. If we love/in the other world as we do in this,\ 

— *(2) (3)V di la — di qud)(l) 
I shall love thee to eternity. 

— — — in perpetuo 

f See page 215, Rule IV., last paragraph. 
J See page 139, Rule IV. 



331 



EXERCISE X. 

1. It is not sufficient to look only at that which is 
non bastare — guardar pur — — — 

before our eyes, viz. the present; and therefore 
dinansi * — — cioe — — — 'per 6 

foresig-ht is g-iven us, that we may look forward 
providenza (S) (I) (2) — che riguarda oltre 

as to what may happen. 
— — — avvenire 

2. Oh, ineffable wisdo;n, that hast thus ordained, how 

— — sapien^a — cosi ordinasti — 

poor is our mind to comprehend thee ! 
(2) (1) (2) (1) 

3. These opinions are demonstrated as false, by that 

— — — riprovare * — — — 

glorious philosopher to whom, especially. Nature 
— _> _ _ piu{1) (1) 

discovered her secrets. 
aprire — — 

4. Having- put the ring into his month, he contrived to let 

— metier e — — — * — — fece si che lascio 

it fall into the cup, without anyone's perceiving* 
— — coppa — (2) avvedersi (^i) 

it, and leaving but little wine therein, he covered 
ne — * — — vi ricoperchiare 

it up, and sent it to the lady. 
_0 -— — __ 

5. Mark (thou) the impudence! Hear what he says! He 
vedere svergognato udire — e' — — 

speaks neither better nor worse than if it was one 
— — piu — meno come — (5) (1) 

or two years ago. 
(3) (4) (-2) (6) 

6. I had much rather that he should suffer, than 

— ho — piu caro — '— ricevere * villania — 

that 1 myself should bear any blame on his account. 
— aver'c » * — * 

u u 2 



332 

7. I am disposed to tell it to you, provided only you 
— — presto — — — sol che — * 

promise never to speak a word to him, or 
— che — farete alcuno — * — — * 

any other person, about it. 
* ne 

8. Do not take care of this. No ; I know what I 

— calersi * — — — — — 



am about; do you well, for I shall do well enough. 
farsi — jpwr (2) (1) — — 

9. Nature has formed us with delicate and soft 

— — fatte — (3) (4) morbido (5) 

constitutions; our minds timorous and fearful; 

ne' (1) corjoz(2) in — animo timido* — pauroso 

and has afforded us little bodily streng-th, voices 

— — dare — le corporaliforze leggieri * — 

pleasing-, and the motion of our limbs gently pliant. 
piacevole — — movimenti — soave 

10. The young bride shewed, apparently, that, with her 

— — sposa parere — — — 

garments, she had changed both her mind and 
vestimento — — mutare insieme — animo — 

behaviour. 
costumi 

11. Since you have resolved to be 
poiche questo * essere * all' animo — voler essere 

man and wife together, let it be done. 
marito — — — * * 

12. If they should pluck out my eyes, pull out my teeth, or 
— - — cavare * — trarre * — — 

lop off my hands, how could I bear that ? 
mozzare — — — potere — star cheto 

13. As you see, the sun is high, and the heat excessive, 

— — — — — — — caldo e grande 

and nothing is heard but the grasshoppers among the 
* altro * udire * — cicala su per — 

olives ; so that it would be madness for us to go at 

— percM — sciocchessa * 

present to any place. 

— * — luogo 



333 

i4. They would have you do as they say ; namely, 

— vogliono * — * quello che — cioe 

fill their purses with money, entrust them with 
* rieinpire * — — denari fidare — 

your secrets, be chaste and patient, and forg-ive 
injuries. 

15. She was sitting upon the green grass, and held with 

— — sopra — — erbette tenere — 

her right hand the loose reins of a horse, and with 
-— destro — — lento redina — — — — — 

her left, a shield and a lance. 



16. I will ask you in marriage of your mother ; 
— fare addomandare — * moglie * — — 

and when she knows my condition, I think, I am 
— — — * (2) esser(l) — credersi (3) 

even certain, that it will appear to her a thousand 
anzi{y) (2) — par ere — 

years to attain the end. 
— venire * — — 

17. Now his rage abated, and his passion 
di present e * furore (2) cadere(\) — — ira 

turned into shame. 
convertirsi — vergogna 

18. At the time when the French were driven out of Sicily, 
in — — * — — — cacciare — — 

there was at Palermo a Florentine apothecary, called 

* — — — — Fiorentino speziale — 
Bernardo. 



19. Do you think, if I had that love for him 

— credere che — — volere — bene * 
w^hich you apprehend, that 1 would let him stay 

— — temere — sofferire che * * 
there to be frozen? 

— — agghiacciare 



334 

20. Peter came up to him, and asked him whether 

— farsi incontro * — domandare — — 

he felt nothing ; saying, You look half dead. 

— senlirsi — — — parere — — 

21. Having no time for a long deliberation, throwing 

— * — * troppo lungo — lasciarsi * 

it down, he ran away as fast as his legs could 

— cadere andare — * — — ne potere 

carry him. 
portare — 

22. Gentlemen, this is what I value beyond 

t — — quella cosa che — aver piu caro che 

every thing else ; see if you think I am 

— — guardare — * parere — aver 

in the right. 
ragione 

23. Sir, the person whom you have condemned to death 

— colui — — — — — — 

as a slave, is a freeman, and my son ; 

— — — — — lihero uomo — — Jigliuolo 

therefore please to defer the execution, till 

e perd — — tanto indugiare — — — 

it be known whether you have done contrary to law. 
* — — — — — contro — — 

24. What thou art disposed to pursue, thou oughtest to fly 

from, if thou hadst any regard to what true friendship 
il — — riguardare — — — amistd 

requires. 
richiedere 



f Signore is well employed, when applied to the person addressed. 



335 



EXERCISE XI. 

1. That man is more praiseworthy, who, /being- ill- 
^'(4) (5) (1) (2) laudabile (S) — V — 

naturedA / directs and governs himselA 

— / (2) \dirissare * — reggere — (0 
ag-ainst the power of nature, than he who, being* 

— — impeto — — — — — 

good-natured, maintains himself in good conduct. 
— — sostenere — — — reggimento 

2. Certain vices are conquered and avoided by good 

— — * vincere — /^g'g'*^^ — — 

habits, and man thereby becomes virtuous, 
consuetudine — (2) * (3) farsi (1) — 

3. The more the thing sought for, approaches to the 

— — — — desiderato appropinquarsi — — 

wisher, the stronger grows the desire. 

desiderante * maggiore{A) essere (S) (1) (2) 

4. I say that the sun, in going round the world, does not see 
— — — — girare — — — — 

any thing nobler than this woman. 

— — cost gentile * — 

5. The priest said, *' Is no other person here besides 

— — — — egli — piii — ci che 

us two V Yes, replied the monk, by thousands ; but 
* 

we can no more see or hear them, than they can 

— — nb — * — — se non come — 

see or hear us. 
— 

6. Do not think that my observation proceeds from 

— credersi — queste parole venire — 

cowardice, nor that I made it to deter 
vilta d'animo — — — aver detto voler ritrarre 

thee from thy resolution. 

— — — proponimenlo 



336 

7. Upon hearing- that, he beg-an to reflect how great and 

— — ■ — ■ — — pensare quali — 

many were the errors to which the minds of men 

were subject. 
pote7'e cadere 

8. There are some who, speaking /rather angrily 

— di quegli — (2) \ — dispettoso * 

than wisely,") have said that I had better 

— savio*^(^l) — — — — fare piu discretamente 

think how I could get my bread. 

* — dond' — dovere aver * — 

9. Paul, who was not far, seeing him part from his 

friend, came up to him, and asked him whether 

— far si incontro * — domandare — — 

he was well. 

* 

10. Seeing himself robbed by this man, and then kept in 

— — rub are — — — or a tenersi — 

talk in that manner, he turned his horse^ and 
parole — cotal — voltare — — — 

rode towards Torrennieri. 

prendere il cammino — — 

11. No one else /could have discerned the high virtue of 

— — \ t conoscere — — — — 

this lady, concealed under a mean habit and country 
* nascondere — i poveri panni — villesco (2) 

disguise, \ but himself. 
ahito(l))(S) (1) *(2) 

12. Without telling who she was, or from whence 

— manifestar — — si * * — — 

she came, she begged of her to have pity 
— — — — che — misericordia 

on her youth. 

* — giovanezza 



t See page 209, 3rd Example, on the Conditional. 



837 

13. Let the wedding* be ordered at my husband 's expence 

— — spese 



no^^e 



* 



afterwards I will undertake to make peace between 
e poi — far fare — — 

you arid your relations. 

14. He frequently intended to leave her 

— molte volte mettersi in cuore — lasciar stare — 
entirely, or else to hate her, if he could, as 
del tutto — pure — avere in odio — — — — — 
she hated him. 

— avere — 

15. He became the most accomplished young g-entleman 

— riuscire — — costumato — 

in the isle of Candia. 



16. Go (thou) and bid him keep well w^arm, and 
andarsene — — — che tenersi — — — 

I will come instantly, and tell him what he is 
— — incontanente — — — — — * 

to do. 



17. Which do you think the g-reater, his wnsdom, or the 

* * parere •— — senno t — 

love which he has for me? 
— — — portare * — - 

18. He made her sit down by him, and said. It is now 

— — sedere allato * — — (2) ormai(S) 

time for you to reap the fruit of your long- patience. 
(1) che * sentire* — — — — — — 

19. I am very g-lad you are returned with an intention 

* piaccre forte — — tornare — — intendimento 

of staying', because I hope to have still a g-reat deal 

— — pero che — — -^ — ancora assai 

of pleasure with you. 

— buon tempo — — 

t See page 247, Rule VII, 1st Example. 
X X 



338 

20. I beg- you will open the door, that I may stand 
— — m' — 00 — — potere — 

there under cover, for it snows still ; and then I 

* al coperto - — — tuttavia — — 

will wait as long- as you please. 
attendere * * * essere a grado 

21. My lord, I do not complain of not having" received any 

* * — — turharsi — — — — — 

g-ift from you, because I did not desire it, to become 
dono — — perch^ — — — esser 

richjer; but only as you have borne 

— ~ del (2) {I) * render e (4) 

testimony in no respect to my virtue. 

testimonian^a(5) (I) (2) cosa(3) — — — 

22. I have told thee (it) a hundred times, that thou 

shouldest never travel ; for that failing of thine, 
t non andare attorno che — vizio * 

of walking- in thy sleep, and telling the stories thou 

— il levarsi — — — — favola — 

dreamest, will be /of ill consequenceX to thee 
— dare \ la mala ventura /(2) — — 

(some time or other.X 
una volta /(I) 

23. The maid reported the answer to the lady, who was 

— /ante fare — — — — — — * 

waiting to see if they would be such fools as 
aspettare — — — — — si pazso * 

to do it. 

* 

24. He who felt an appetite, inasmuch as he had 

— — aver talento J di mangiare — come colui che (2) 

walked, seeing the abbot did not yet come, took 
camminare(\) — — — — — trarre 

( one of the three loaves'\ /out of his bosom,^ 

U - /(2) U ){y) 

and began to eat. 

\ See page 215, Rule IV. last paragraph. 

X Talento is here used for inclination, metapl]^orically, for this reason, 
that he who has the talent to do any thing, is generally inclined to it by 
nature. 



339 



EXERCISE XII. 

1. Man is worthy of praise or blame, only for those things 
— — lode e vituperio solo * — — 

which it is in his power to do or not to do ; but for 
— sono podestd e — * 

those wherein he has no power^ he deserves neither 
blame nor praise. 



2. Every thing- mostly tends to perfection ; and 
ciascuno — massimo* desiderare la sua — — 

by it, it is that every wish is gratified, and 

m — * * (3) c?estc?eno (4) (1)* 5'Me«are(2) — 

for it^ ever}^ thing desired. 

3. This is the desire which always makes every 

— — quel — — — — (2) 

pleasure appear to us defective ; for there is no 
dilettasion(2) (1) manco — * (3) (1) 

pleasure so great in this life as /to be capable of 
(2) _____ — * V potere* 

quenchino- this thirst\ /of our souls. \ 
torre ^ la — J(2)\a (2) (1)*/(1) 

4. The moon /which was then in the midst of 
(2) (3) \ essendo — — — — 

heavenA had now lost her briahtness, and /every 
— /(4) (1) — (2) ra^ggi{l) e gid\ — 

part of our hemisphere become illuminatedx /by 

— — — mondo era chiaro /(2) \ — 



the approach of day 
— nuova luce vesinente, 



)(i) 



5. After he had eaten, and warmed himself, he related 
poi che — — * riscaldare — contare 

his whole misfortune, and how he had arrived there. 
— — disavveniura — — *(2) (3) quivi(l) 

X x2 



340 

6. You shall know, to your cost, how grievous it is to 
provare con —• danno * grave * — 
me to have / taken a wife at your request,\ 
— * — \prendere — — — — prieghi^ (2) 



/contrary to my inclination.") 
\ contra — voglia ^(1) 



7. Dost thou suppose, my friend, if a strang-er 

— credere — — che (2) forestiere (3) 

/ were to meet with us,") who had never seen 
\venendo all' incontro di — /(I) — — — — 

thee before, that he would imagine thee to be the best 

— p — credere che — * — — 

painter in the world, as thou really art? 
dipintor — — — — — — 

S. Yes, I believe he mig-ht think so, if, looking- at 

— — credere — credere il allora che — 

thee, he could ever conclude that thou hadst learned 

— — credere — — sapere 
thy A, B, a 

* a, hi, ci 

9. You must have much finer cords made for your 

— — * (2) sottile * (3) (1) * a — 
archers s' bows than are commonly used. 

— — — che quelle che * comunalmente — 

10. I must acquaint you that there are /companies of 
— volere ricordare — — andare \ brigata 

people, both friends and enemies,\ /passing this 

* * — _- _ ;(2) V joer — 

way,v who do us great injury sometimes. 
^ )(1) (2) danni(Z) (1) 

11. What is the meaning of this? Who is it that 

— ■ voler dire — — — * — 

sneezes in this manner ? 
starnutire (2) cost ( 1 ) 

12. The queen, feeling the heat of the day to be sufficiently 

— — sentire — — — — — — gia 

overcome by the breezes of the night, ordered 
vincere freschezza — — — comandare che 

every one to go and repose. 
— andarsi * — 



341 

13 Nothing- is agreeable to me, but in as much as I 
7iiuno cosa — caro se non — — — 

see it is pleasing- to yourself. 
— — piacere — — 

14. To-morrow morning I will send you some of the 

— — — — — * — quello 

distilled water, and you shall begin to drink it by 
stillato (2) (1) — — — — — ne 

a large glass full at a time. 
— buon bicchier grande per — volta 

15. Hearing his voice, and looking in his face, he 

+ * — — * (4) (1) (2) viso (3) 

found it was the same person that had so 

riconoscere lui J colui — — — 

kindly received, familiarly accompanied, and faithfully 
benigno^ — — — — — 

advised him. 
consigliare — 

L6. At this very instant, as nothing now remained to be 
* ■* — restare * * 

served up but the dessert, the tv/o girls came 

dare — — frutte (2) (3) giovinetta (4) (1) 

with two silver dishes in their hands, full of all manner 

— — — — — * mano — vario 

of fruit, which they set before the king. 
frutti e quegli posare davanti * — — 

17. The scholar, who knew that threats serve 

— -- — — (3) essere * (2) 

. only" \ as weapons to the person 

\niuna altra cosa) (V) * — di — 

threatened, kept all his resentment within his 
— serrare — — sdegno dentro a — 

breast, 
petto 

t See page 176, Rule V. 

J See page 215, on the Infinitive Mood. 



342 

18. Do, stay (thou) a little, I expect here a man who 
deh aspettarsi — — egli deve venir — — — 

has got my waistcoat in pawn for eig'ht and thirty 

— togliere — farsetto — pegno — — — — 

pence ; and I am sure he will restore it for five and 
soldo cet'to * — rendere — — 

thirty, to be paid down. 

— pagandol teste 

19. If you had children of your own, whereby you might 
— — 00 * — potere 

know how strong is the affection we bear them, 

— c/i * forza * — amove * portai^e — 

I am sure you would excuse me. 
r- certa — avere per iscusato — 

20. This young lady is not, as many may think, either 

— — — — forse stimare 

of Cremona or Pavia, but of Faenza; although 
* — * — ansi e Faentina come che 

neither myself, nor she, nor yet the person who 

bequeathed her to me, knew ever whose daughter she 
lasciare — — — * — * (2) 

was. 
e8sersi(^l) 

21. Their habits and temper were so conformable, that a 

— costumi — — con/orme — — 

brotherly affection, and very strict friendship, 
fratellama — * grande (2) (1) * 

sprung up between them. 
nascere — — 



EXERCISE XIII. 

1. Before we proceed further, we must here 
prima che (2) * (3) piu oltre (1) * convenire — 

explain what is called Philosophy. 

mostrare che ^ questo che * — — 



343 

2. Almost at the same time with Niima Pompilius, second 

(4) (1) (2) (3) die — Pompilio — 

king- of the Romans, there lived in Italy a most noble 

*(2) 

philosopher, called Pythag-oras. 

( 1 ) che * — Pitagora t 

3. Before him, /the followers of science\ were 
dinansi da costui \ — seguitatore — — -^C^) (1) 

not called Philosophers, but Sages. 
(4) (2) — — sapiente 

4. This Pythagoras, having- been asked whether he 

— — domandare — 

considered himself a Sage, said, that he was not a Sage, 
riputare — — — — - J* — 

but a lover of science. 
amatore — sapiensa 

5. Hence it came, that afterwards every student in 
quinci nascere (2) poiQ) ciascuno studioso — 

science was called a lover of science ; viz. a 
sapiensa * — — — — sapienza — — 

philosopher. 

6. We may therefore remark, that it is not a title 
(3)* (4) per che (X) notare(2) — — — — vocabolo 

of arrogance, but of humility. 

7. At last, Ruberto having run a great way, and the 
ultimamente (2) (1) — — — pezzo — — 

other still pursuing him, he drew his sword, as 
— tuttavia seguitare — tirarfuori — — * 

he was armed likewise, and faced about; and now 
(2) *(1) — altresi — rivolgersi — 

they began, the one to assault and the other to 
— — — — offendere — — — — 

defend himself. 



t This philosopher lived some time in Crotona, in the kingdom of 
Naples, anciently called Magna Graecia, as appears from the Bibliothcca 
Classica of J. Lemprieire. 

X See page 215, on the Infinitive. 



344 

8. I would advise no one to run the risk of following' 

— consigliare * — che arrischiarsi — andar dietro 
the paths of her of whom I intend to speak, 
-— jpedata — * ~ >_ o (3) (1) dire (2) 

because, neither is Fortune always disposed, nor are 
percio che — (2) (3) (1) — — — 

all men always blind in the same manner. 

— — ahhagliato egualmente 

9. He had several iine and rich robes made, shaped after a 
— * ■— (2) (3) (4) (1) — al dosso * — 

g-irl that seemed to be of the same size 
giovane — par ere (^4) (1) (2) persona (Z) 

as the young- lady whom he intended to espouse. 
che — giovinetta — aver proposto — — 

10. I do not think there is any things so dangerous and 

— — credere — — — — — grave — 

difficult, that a person who is thoroughly in love 
duhbioso — - *(4) amare {6) ferventemente (5) 

dares not to attempt. 
ardire(S) (2) a far{\) 

11. This horse came to us last night, I do not know 

— — capitare — sera — — — 

whence, and we took him in, that he should not 

— — — mettersi — in casa — — 

be devoured by the wolves. 

12. Though the expectation seemed tedious to him, he 

benche — indugio parere * grave — — 

waited to see if she would awake/of her own accord. \ 

— che svegliarsi(2)\ * * ^(0 

13. Making extraordinary preparations, as if he were 
far '^ fare un grand e apparecchiamento * 

going either to France or Spain, he mounted his 

horse, and, attended by many of his friends, 
— — accompagnare — — — — 

went to a place about three miles off, 
andarsene — — luogo forse — — lontano 

which is called Chiassi. 



345 

14. The honest men, hearing- that she was of Florence, beg'an 

— valente — udire costei * — — — 
to wonder, and desired he would be so kind 

— maravigliarsi — * pregare * piacere 

as to teli them in what manner she had come 
— — — — — modo — * pervenire 

into his hands, and how he knew that she was a 
Florentine, 



15. I never learnt so much all the time i was at 
— non apparare — mentre — dimorare — 

Paris, as you have taug-ht me in one day. 
— — -:- far conoscere — -— — — 

16. As I imagined you had forgotten what I had 

* * parere * * uscir di mente — — * 

endeavoured to intimate to you, namely, that this 
ingegnarsi — dimostrare — — — — — 

is no wine for servants, so I was willing to remind 

* * ___ * famiglia volere — licordare 



you of it. 
— il 

17. The pains which I have before taken, and 

— fatica — — — alt7'a volta imprendere — 

am now to underg-o, aim at no other 

— ancora * pigliare f^iguardare (5) (1) (2) (3) 

end but to drive away melancholy, and to afford 
(4) * — torre — — porgere (4) 

matter for mirth and laug-hter. 

allegres^a (3) (2) riso {I) 

18, Though I boast it, amiable ladies, as my 

(3) (4) avere(5) veszoso (I) (2) * — 

privilege, to relate what pleases me most, yet I 
— — parlare * — (3) (2) (1) — 

intend not to-day to depart from the subject 

— — — — — separarsi — quello materia 
which you have all spoken so well 

— — — — (3) assai(l} acconciamente (2) 

upon. 

* 

Yy 



346 

19. God, more careful of my doing* my duty, than 
Iddio — sollecito {4) a (I) (2) dover(s) — 

I was myself, opened the eyes of my understanding, 
*0 — — — — — * intelletto 

which a mean envy had closed, 
— — misero — — serrare 

20. He knew how to do it with more exactness and 



* 



or 



dine — 



eleg-ance of expression, than any other person. 
ornato parlare — — — uomo 

21 . The young lady was universally admired, and every one 

— fanciulla — guardata da ogni uomo — — 

said that the Count had made a good change ; but 

— — — — -— — — — cambio — 

Griselda, in particular, highly commended her and her 
— in tra gli altri molto lodare — — — 

little brother. 
» 

22. What troubled her most, was the consideration of 

— offender e(S) (2) (1) — — conoscimento — 

her low condition, which left her no hope« of 

— infimo — — — — * speranza — 

success. 
lieto fine 

EXERCISE XIV. 

1. It is in the chamber of his thoughts, that man should 

* — — . *(2) deeiX) 

reprimand himself, and lament his defects, and not in 
riprendere — — piangere — — — -—0 

public. 
pales e 

2. One may reasonably believe, that, as every workman 
*(2) (3) (1) — — si come — maestro 

prefers his most perfect work to the rest, so 

amare — ottimo(2^ opera (\) piu * — altre — 

God loves the human race more than all the 
— __ (2) (4) persona (S) (1) — — — 
others. 



347 

3. The soul shows itself in the eyes so clearly, 
(3) (4) dimostrare i\) (2) — — — — manifesto 

that its actual passion may be known by him who 
— (4) joresenie (5) (6) (3) *(2) (1) chi^ 

considers it well. 
mirare(3) (2) (1) 

4. What is laug-hter, but a corruscation of the pleasure 

— — ridere * — — dilettazione 

of the soul? viz. a light which appears outwardly as 
— — — lume apparente difuori — 

it is within. 
stare — 

5. Often times, thinking to give praise, we 
molto — credersi (2) lode {3) alcuno{\) 

blame, either from the faults of the giver, or 
dar biasimo — * difetto — - — — — * 

of him who receives it. 

— — — - udire 

^. Now you see what sort of a man he is , what would you 

say, if 1 were in the street, as he is, and he (were) 

within doors, as I am ? 
in casa — ■ — > — 

7. The better to gain her favour, he 

jom(3) *(1) potere(2) avere — dimestiche^sa 

was every now and then making presents to her ; one day 
* ad ora ad ova presentare — e quando 

he would send her a bunch of new leeks, of 
X — — — ma^^uol — fresco (2) (I) — 

which he had the finest in the country, out of a 



* * 



m 



f The preposition da is understood hefove. chi, as in the preceding Exer- 
cise there is a pi'eposition understood before the first che of the second 
example, and another before the che that follows persona^ in the ninth 
example, which I desire the student to supply, agreeably to the analysis laid 
down in pages 244 and 245 ; as it will enable him to comprehend the full 
construction of many passages in poetry, not felt by Italians themselves. 

X See page 266, Rule I. 

Y y2 



348 

g'arden of bis, that he tilled with his own hands ; 
orto * — • — lavorare a — — e 

another time, a little basket of pease; and 
* — (uccioj canestro — baccelli — 

sometimes a bonch of onions or scallions. 
talora — — — — — scalogno 

8. Putting- out the light which was in the chamber, 

spegnere* — — — ardere(4} (1) (2) (3) 

she went and hid herself in a corner of the 

— — * nascondere — — — angolo — • — 

house. ■ 

9. The scholar, about the beginning of the night, had 
— — in sul far — — — * 

hid himself, along with his servant^ among the 
nascondere — — — fante tra — 

willows near to the little tower, and had seen all 
salcio presso di — * — ■ — (4) (1) 

these things. 
(2) (3) 

10. Leaving the house all full of blood, noise, and 

* — — — — — — romore — 

confusion, they joined parties, and went directly on 
pianto stringersi insieme — pei'venire (^5^ 

to their ship /with their booty, without any 
(2) *(3) nave {4) \ — — rapina — — 

hindrance. \ 
impedimento)(\) 

11. You are mistaken, if you think I had no other way 
-^ ingannarsi credere * * ' — — 

to attain my revenge ; I had a thousand 
a desiderata vendetta — * — — — 

others, and had laid a thousand snares, by 
— — — tendere — — lacciuolo * 

pretending to love you. 
mostrare — — ^- 

12. When she thought it a proper time, she discovered 

— *(2) joarere(3) (1) • — aprire 

her intention to him without reserve. 

— — — — compiutamente 



349 

13. The next morning she went, by way of a 

— seguente — — andarsene — — — — 

walk, in company with another lady, to his little 
'dipo7to — — — — donna — — — 

cottage, and caused him to be called. 
casetta — * — * chiamare 

14. Certainly I would quarrel both with Nature and 

certo — maledire parimente {^) (1) — 

Fortune, did I not know Nature to be very wise, 

— * — — — discreto 

and Fortune to have a thousand eyes, although fools 

— — — — — — come che sciocco 

describe her as blind. 
figurare — cieco 

15. Go away, go, blockheads that you are ; you do not know 

what you say, 

— — dirsi 

16. Though he had no learning, yet he was so prompt and 

— * — sciensa — — — — — 

voluble of tongue, that such as knew him not, 

ottimo parlatore — chi avesse conosciuto — — 

would not only have considered him as some great 
— solamente — stimare — * un — 

orator, but have compared him even to Tully or 
rettorico — — dire lui esscre Tullio o forse 

Quintilian. 
Quintiliano 

17. Though it was in August, sitting down by 
ancora che * d' Agosto porsi * a sedere appresso a 

the fire-side, he began to tell her that he was a 

— — ——_—__ 

gentleman, and worth an inc^'edible sum of 
— — * avere — gran quantita — 

money, besides what he owed to others, which 
danari senza — — avere a dare — — 

was rather more. 
— ansi pin che meno 



350 

18. Go into the g-arden, and /thou wilt find two capons, 

some new-laid eg-g-s, and a bottle of g-ood wineA 
— fresco (2) (1) fiasco — — — )(2) 

/ under the peach-tree :\ drink of the wine, 

\appie' di — pesco ){\) porre hocca a — fiasco 

and go away, and hurt not me, nor my Gianni. 

— andarsi — — far male * — — (2) (1) 

19. She, in truth, was an agreeable, handsome country-woman, 

— nel vero =- piacevole e fresco foresossa 

and could play upon the harpsichord, and sing, and 

— sapere sonare — cembalo — — — 

lead up a dance, better than any other in the country ; 

menare — — — — • — — *— — 

for which reason he fell so much in love 

— — cose — invaghirsi — forte 

with her, that he was almost out of his wits. 
ne — — menarne smanie 

20. In a few days, Nicostratus having given a great 
ivi a -— — Nicostrato — — — — 

entertainment, as he used frequently to do, just 
desinare — spesse volte — — ed essendo 

as the tables were taken away, she came into the 
gid (2) (3) levare(\) ^^ venirsene — — 

hall, richly dressed, and there, in the presence of 

— — vestito — — — — — 

Nicostratus and the whole company, killed the hawk. 
■ — — — — hrigata uccidere — falcone 



EXERCISE XV. 

I. He /should not be called a true philosopherA who 
(2) V debbe — * — — /(I) — 

is a friend to science from interested motives, as 
— * sapiensa ^ utilitd — sono 

lawyers, physicians, and almost all religious men, 
legista medico —- — — — 

who do not study for the sake of knowledge, but to 

— (1) (4) (2) sapere (3) 

acquire riches and honours* 
— moneta — 



351 

2. As among- the varieties of friendship, that which 
si come — — spezie — — — — 

is cemented by interest, can hardly be called 

— per utilita (4) meno(\) (3) dire(5} 
friendship; so such men /are deserving- the name of 

^2) — — cotali \ partecipare * — — — 
philosophersx less than any others. 

* )(2) (1) — — — gente 

3. As the efficient cause of true friendship is virtue, 

— (6) cagione (5) (1) (2) (3) (4) — 
so is truth the efficient cause of philosophy. 

— (3) (6) (6) (4) (1) (2) 

4. Thus may one understand what is this lady of mine, 

and why called Philosophy ; who is a true philosopher, 

* ___ 

and who is so only from accident. 
-_ * — 

5. First, 1 have a mind to go to Rome, and see 
in prima (S) (1) volere (2) — — (2) 

there, him whom you call God 's vicar on earth, 
(1) — — — dire ess er — * — 

and consider his ways and manners, and those of 

— — — modo — costume — similmente — 

his brother cardinals. 

6. The next morning- the g-entlemen, with three of their 

— seguente — — giovane ' — — * 
servants, set out from the city, and came to the 

famigliare uscire * — — — pervenire — — 
place appointed by them. 
luogo ordinare (3) (I) (2) 

7. I am come to spend a little time with you, for 

— — — — stare — pe^zo — — percid che 

I met with your father, who was going- to town. 

— trovar — ~ — — — — — 

8. Between March and July following, it is supposed 

infra il — — {2) prossimo {\) *(2) credere{3) 
that /upward of a hundred thousand souls \ 

\ oltre * — — — creatura iimana) {}) 

perished in the city of Florence. 
essere stale di vita tolte — — — 



352 

9. I am your friend, who am come^ /according to the 



(2) (3) V secondo 

bring- you tiding-s of 
dire — novella — 



promise I madeA to bring- you tiding-s of the 

- -* - Ao- 

other world. 



10. She sent him word, saying, That, as she had 

— — — — — SI come — — 

occasion for two hundred florins of gold, she wished 
bisogno * ' — — — — — — volere 

that he would supply her with that sum. 

— — prestare * li 

11. I have found means that we shall have bread for more 
— — — modo — — — del — — — 

than a month ; for I have sold the tub to this man, 
* — — eke — — — — doglio — — 

whom I have brought with me. 
• — — - — menare — — 

12. Not being' able to find what I went looking for, 

• — — — — — — cercare 

because from thence they go by water, I returned 
percib che da indi inld * — — tornarsene 

to the Holy Land. 
* Terra Santa 

13. Some time aftervi^ards he told his wife, in general 
poco — appresso — — — con (2) 

terms, that his subjects could not bear with the 
parola (1) — — — — — patire * ' — 

daughter that was born of her. 
fanciulla (3) (I) (2) 

14. Now he inquired of them whether there /was 



appresso domandare 

(2) V_ - _ ;(1) _ 



any villag-e or castle\ / in those partsN where 

— — - — )a^ V— - — )(i 



he could go. 



15. That is not a thing to be regarded. 
* — — * curarsene 



353 

l6. The novel was really a g-ood one; but he, repeating 

— — — nel vero — hellissimo replicare 

the same word three, four, and six times, and now 
uno — — — — — — — — — 

beginning over again, and then mistaking one name 
tornare indietro — talvolta porre — — 

for another, mangled it to the last degree. 

— — guastare — fieramente 



17. I do not remember ever to have received any harm 
mi — ricorda (3) (1) (2) — — danno 

on your account, but rather so much good, that, if I 

was worth any thing at any time, it was due to your 
voter e (2) (3) mai (1) — avvenire per — - 

merit, and the love 1 have borne to you, 
valore — ■ — — * — — — — — 

18. That evening it happened that certain labourers of his, 

— — avvenire — (2) (4) (3) 

being come with some things from the country, and 
(1) — — certo — — — villa — 

having put their asses, without giving them 

— mettere — — — — — 

any water, into a stable, one of them, being very 
here — — — — — a^ino * 

thirsty, slipped his halter, and went smelling 

* trarre il capo di — capesiro — — fiutare 

every where to find some water. 

— cosa seforse trovasse * — 

19. Ah, cruel man! does my crime appear so heinous 

— — — (3) fallo(2) parere(\) — grande 

to you, that neither my youth, my tears, nor my 

— — — — — giovanezza * — — — (2) 

humble entreaties, can move you? 
(1) priego — — — 

20. Though other people commend him very 
come che ogni altro uomo lodarsi(ji) di(2) (3) 

much, I have little reason to do so (I). 

(1) — * potersi poco lodare — 

z z 



354 

^1. She begg-ed of her to receive all the blows 

— pregare * — che — (2) guello(S) bussa{4} 
patiently which he should g-ive her, without making- 

(1) — — — — — farsi 

any discovery, and she would make her such 

conoscere percid che — * rendere — si fatto 
a recompense, that she should have no cause to repent. 
merito — — — — cagione — dolersi 

22. I am convinced he has either lost his senses, 

— credere fermamente * — non essere in buon senno 

or else mistaken me ; for, as soon as he saw 

— che cogliere in iscamhio — percid che come 

me in the street, at a distance from your house, he 
strada poco distante — — — cosi 

drew his sword, and said, Villain, thou art a 

metier mano a * ' — — — traditor — 

dead man ! 
— 



EXERCISE XVI. 

1. That is /worthy of great reproof, \ 
quella(3) cosa(4) (2) V — — moUo riprensione/(l) 
which, being" intended to remove some defect, does of 

— ordinare — torre — — * 

itself induce it ; as one who, being sent to 

— (2) quello (I) — colui — fosse — — 
quell a fray, should, before he departed, 

par tire — ^uffa e prima che partiref quella* 

commence another. 

2. Would that it had pleased the Ruler of the 

*(2) (1) * — Dispensatore— — 

Universe, that there had never been /any cause for 
— _ (3) (2) (4) Ua — * 

my apology ;\ so neither would others have 

— scusa /(I) che — — (3) 

wronged me, nor I myself have suffered 
fallare(4) contra (I) (2) (2) (1) 

punishment unjustly^ 
pena — 

f Partire has here still the signification of to quell. 



355 



3. Such persons are quickly anxious, and easily satisfied ; 
— cotali (2) iosto(].) vago — tosto * sazio 

frequently joyful, and often sorrowful ; of short 

sono lieto — — * tristo — brieve 



pleasures and vexations, readily friends and suddenly 
dilettazione — tristizia tosto — — tosto 

enemies; doing* every thing like children, without 
— fanno(3) (I) (2) come pargolo — 

the use of reason. 

4. I am a man /very little acquainted\ with such 

— — \ materiale e rozzo / (4) (1) (2) 

things, because I live in the old - fashioned 

(3) SI come colui che viversi * — antico 

way, and spend twelve pence for a 

* — lasciat^ coi^rere due soldi — ventiquattro 
shilling. 
denari 

6. The rings were found so like to one another, that 

— — * — — simile (2) (1) — — 

the true one could not be distinguished. 
qual fosse — — sapere — * conoscere 

6. Though this way be a little more unfrequented than 
ancorache — — — — salvatico 

the other, it is yet nearer to your house, and more 
*0 • — (2) (I) — (3) 

secure for you. 

(4) (1) (2) 

7. The lady, who w'ell understood the question, now 

— donna — ottimamente — — dimanda 
thinking that she had a fit opportunity of letting 

parere * * * — tempo opportuno a potere 

him know her sentiment, boldly answered : 

— dimostrare — intenzione haldanzoso * — 
My lord, women, however they may differ in 
monsignore femmina quantunque variare — 
dress and titles, are the same here as elsewhere. 

vestimenti — • onore — fatto — 

zz2 



356 

8. My son, these crimes are natural, and very trivial, and 

* * — peccato — — — * assai leggiere — 
1 would not have thee burthen thy conscience more 
— voglio — * * gravare — — — 

than is necessary. 

— bisognare * 

9. Pamphilus has shev^red us, in his novel, the great 
Panfilo{4) (3) (1) ne (2) novellare — 

g-oodness of God, in not regarding our errors, when 
beni guild ■- — — — guard are a — — — 

they proceed from the blindness and imperfection of 

^- — cosa che per not veder non si 
our nature. 

possa 

10. It is not yet fifteen days since I bought this cloak 
* — ancora — — — — — — tabarro 

of Lotto the broker, and it cost me seven pounds ; 
* — < — rigattiere — — — -— — 

and I got five shillings at least by the 

t avem (5) paolo{Q) di (3) ben (^4) buon (1) 

bargain, according to what Buglietto tells me, who, 
mercato (2) per — (2) *(1) — — 

you know, is a good judge. 

— — eke ^ intendersi bene 

11. He imagined that his wife spoke in that manner, 
— credere — * — dire quelle parole 

because he had scolded her ; for which reason he 
— — — garrire * — — cosa — 

was under no concern. 
non curarsi 

12. The money you lent me the day before yesterday, 

— denari — — — — altrieri 

was of no service (to me), because I could not compass 
non aver luogo — — — — — fornir 

the thing on account of which J borrowed it; therefore 

— bisogna * — — prendere — e percid 

1 brought it back immediately to your wife. 

— recare — qui di presente — — donna 

t The relation indicated by the preposition Jy, must be expressed here 
with a pronoun, the place of which, when intended to be supplied in Ita-; 
lian, is not always marked with an asterisk. 



t 



357 

33. It is to-day the feast of St. Galeone, and they do not 
^ ___ ^ 

work ; and for that reason I have returned home at this 
lavorare — — * tornarsene — 

time of the day. 
ora 

14. Ruberto, arising* with all haste, and taking- up his 

— levarsi * prestamente — prendere"^ — 

arms, ran to the door to see who it was, and to 

— — uscio — — — costui * — — 

take veng-eance upon him. 
far male * 

15. Gentlemen and ladies, you must understand, that, beings 

— , — — — — sapere — — 

yef very young-, I was sent by my superior to 
io ancora molto — — — — — * 

those parts where the sun first appears, and ordered 

— — — (2) (3) (1) — commettere* 

with an express command to inquire into the 

— — — comandamento che io cercare — 

nature of porcelain. 
privilegi — — 

16. Child, if disagreeable persons offend thee 
Jlgliuola — spiacevole (4) dispiacere (3) (2) 

so much, and thou art willing to be at ease, never 
(1) se -^ voter e viver lieto giammai{2) 

/ look at thyself.\ 
\specchiare — /(I) 

17. It is / always \ a g-ood thing-, most worthy 
(3) Kin ogni parte) Qi) bello(\) (2) valor oso 

ladies, to be able to speak well ; but I hold it 
— * saper — (2) (1) reputare — 

best of all to know how to do it when 

betlissimo quivi sapere * — — — < dove 

need requires. 

necessitd * richiedere 

18. Sir, this horse of yours has too uneasy a trot; I beg- you 

will set me down. 
porre — a pie' 



358 

19. I know not whether 1 should term it a vice, accidental, 

— — — — midicachesia — (2) (1) 

and owing- to the depravity of our 

— sopravvenuto in noi per malvagitd — 

manners, or whether it be not rather a natural 
costume o pure — e nella natura 

infirmity, to laug-h sooner at bad things, than those 
peccato * — — di cattivo — — ^ 

which are good, especially when they no way 
— e — — quelle non 

concern ourselves. 
appartenere * — 

20. I intend, together with this my companion, to take a 

— — — — -^ — — — desinar 

neighbourly dinner with thee to-day. 
domesticamente (3^ (2) (1) stamane 



EXERCISE XVII. 

1. The thing which most adorns and commends human 
quello — — — — — — — 

operations, and which most directly leads them to a 
— ' — — — diritto* menare — 

good end, is the possession of such dispositions as are 

requisite to the intended purpose. 
ordinato — — inteso fine 

2. For the purposes of horsemanship,/ firmness of mind, 

* — fine — cavalleria \franchessa — animo 

and strength of body,\ are requisite. 

^foriessa-^ — )(3) (1)* (2) 

3. Every thing is virtuous in its nature, which does that 
ciascuno — — — — — - — — 

for which it is intended ; and /it is the more 
* _____ ordinare Vo (2) (1)* (3) 

virtuous,\ /the better it performs it.\ 
— )(2)\^meglio fare —/(I) 



359 

4. Lang-uag-e, which is intended to express human 

sermone — — — — manifestare (2) 

conception, is virtuous when it does so; and that 
concetloO)— — — {;l) quello (I) -— (4) 

is more virtuous, which does it best. 
(3)(1) (2) - (3) (2)pi«(l) 

5. The beautiful lady, who had long been the sport 

_ „ _ _ (5) (1) (6) trastullo {2) 

of Fortune, the time now drawing- near when 
(3) (4) (2) termine(^) appressarsi (l) * 

her sorrows were to have an end, as soon as she saw 

— male dovere — — — — — — — 
Antigonus, remembered that she had seen him in 

Antigono cost 7'icordarsi * — _ — 

her father 's service. 

— — — servigi 

6. Though the Jew was well read in the Jewish law, 

come che — — — un gran maestro — — 

he began to be greatly pleased with Giannotto 's 
* — * forte * * — — 

arguments. 
dimostrazione 

7. In the first place, I declare Parmeno, Dioneo 's 
primieramente (2) (1) constituire — — — 

servant, master of my household ; to Chimera, 
famigliar mio siniscalco — — 

Lauretta 's woman, and Stratilia, Fiammetta 's, I 
— — fante — — — — 

give the care of the ladies' chambers. 
commettere — governo - — — donna — — 

8. After that, I pray to God and him to send me / a good 

— * — — — — — che dare — \ — — 
lodgingx /at night. 



lodgmgx /at nigni.x 
albergo)(2)\* — )(\) 



Though Fortune had given him a very mean 
quantunque — — — — — assai(2) umile{Z) 

employ, yet, in this respect, she had been so 
arteQ) (2) quella(Z) (4) (5) (1) 

kind to him, that he had grown very rich. 
benigno — — — — * divenire — 



360 

10. She was so disagreeable, tiresome, and fretful, that 

— —• — dispiacevole sassievole — stissoso — 

nothing' could be done to her taste; and as proud as 
— * ^ — guisa — — altiero — • 

if she had been of the blood royal of France. 

11. Dost thou think I will suffer thee to pawn my 

— credere — * * impegnare — 

gown and my other clothes ? 
gonnella — (2) (1) panni 

12. As it often happens that Fortune hides 

— — spesso (2) avvenire (1) — — < nascondere 

under mean trades very g-reat virtues, so are 
— vile arte — — — * 

very great geniuses found sometimes 

maraviglioso (2^ ingegno(3) (1) essere — 

lodged by Nature in the most deformed and 

stato — — riposto sotto turpissime forme 

mis-shapen bodies. 
d' uomini 

13. I have kept it a long time from you, for fear of 
— — tacere — huona pesza vi per non 

disobliging you; but now I see other people 
fare noia — — — accorgersi * 

take notice of it. 
avvedersi — 

14. This courteous visit of yours is much more welcome 

— liberate venuta * — troppo — caro 

to me than if I had /all that I have already wasted, \ 
— — ■ — *(4) \ quanta — <■ — spender e/(S) 

returned to me, to spend over again. 
dare(5) (3) (6)* (7) da (I) capo (2) 

15. Pretending not to know him, she sat down at 
far sembiante — —»._— — o porsi a sedere -~ 

his feet. 

* 



361 

16. Rinaldo, without knowing- who his antagonist was, or 

— — — — — avversario si — — 

being- able to do him any harm, left him alone, for 
— offendere — d' — cosa — — stare — 

fear of being- known, and returned, full of 

tema — — — — tornarsene (4) (1) (2) 

wrath, to his own house. 

mal talento (3) verso ~ — 

17. I can tell you of nothing- which has never 
— saprei insegnare — cosa — * — 

yet been seen ; but, if you please, I can tell 

— — — — * — — * insegnerd bene 

you of a thing- which I believe you never saw. 
~ una — — — * _ (2) (1) 

18. I rather conceive that to be a forg-e for 
— piutosto(2^ avere{\) — per — fucina di 

diabolical operations, than for things divine. 



19. Many a time did he try with his head and shoulders 

* (2) tentare{\) _ * — — — . 

if he could raise it up, but in vain. 

— — levare — — 

20. In the space of a year, he took so many Turk 's 
— — — prendere — - — — 

vessels, that he found he had not only got 
legno — — trovarsi *(3) (1) (2) racquistare 
his own again, but made it/ more than N 

— — * raddcppiarei^) i2)\di gran lung a/ (I) 

double. 


21. He desired him, as he was going towards Tuscany, 

pregare — che poi * (3) (1) (2) 

to make one of his company, because 
gli piacesse d'essere — avvegna che 

he was likewise travelling thither. 

— similmente (2) andare (S) la (I) 

3 a 



362 

22. Though /the honest man who reproved master 
come che \ — - valente — — trajiggere messer lo 

Inquisitor A did well ; yet I esteem him much 
— /(3) (2) (1) (2) *(6) assai(l) 

more to be commended, of whom I am g'oing' to 
(3) * (4) lodare (5) -^ — — * 

speak. 
dire 

23. Abraham the Jew g-oes to the court of Rome, and seeing* 
Abraam — — — in — — — — — 

the wickedness of the clergy there, returns to Paris, 

— malvagita cherici tornare — — 

and becomes a Christian. 

— farsi — — 

24. The girl was twelve years old, and the prettiest 

— fanciulla * — — * hello 

creature that ever was seen, and the boy six. 
cosa — — * — — — fanciullo * 

25. He was tall in person, and handsome, agreeable in 

— — — delta — — bello piacevole — 

his countenance, of a graceful behaviour, and 
— viso e — maniere assai graziose — 

a middle-aged man. 
giovane di mes.za eta 



EXERCISE XVIII. 

1. If those who departed this life a thousand years ago, 

should return to their countries, they would think 
— _— — cittade credere 

them to be occupied by a strange people, on account of 
__ __ (2) gente(}) * 

the language differing from theirs. 
— lingua discordante (3) (1) (2) 



363 

2. That thing we say is beautiful, wherein the parts 

— — uomo(2) (1) * — cui — — 

exactly correspond with one another ; because, by their 
debito* rispondere — — — 

harmony, pleasure is produced. 
— risultare piacimento 

3. Man appears therefore beautiful, when his limbs 
(3) (2) onde (^l) essere — — — — 

are proportionate, 
rispondere (2) debilamente {\) 

4. We call singing- beautiful, when the voices, 

dire (2) (1) — — — di quello 

according to the requisites of art, are accordant 
secondo — debito — — — rispondente (2) 



(one with another. \ 
intra se ^ (0 



5. These are not proper things, either to be said or 

— — — conveniente (2) (1) * * — * 

to be heard by respectable women. 
* ascoltare ad onesto — 

6. These arches are the abodes of the dead, which he calls 

our territories ; to show us, that w^e, and all other 

— casa — dimostrare — — — — — — 

people ignorant and unlearned, are, compared 
uomini idioto — non letterato — a comparasion 

to him and other men of letters, worse than dead men. 

* — — — — scienziato — — (2) (I) 

7. Having brought that art again to light, which 

— egli ritornare (3) (4) in (I) luce (2) — 

had lain buried for many ages under the errors of such 

— stato — — — secolo — — — — * 

as aimed more to captivate the eyes of the ignorant 

* intendere — — dilettar — — * 

than to please the understandings of the learned, 
— — compiacere * — intelletlo * — — savio * 

he may be deservedly called one of the lights of the 
— - * meritamente dire — — — luce 

Flbreritine glory. 
Fiorentino — 

3 a2 



364 

8. Then he asked him whether he was a lost person ? to 

poi — — — — — — — — 

whom the other answered, "Those things only are lost, 

- - - - (3) (4) (2)(1) 

which cannot be foond ; and if that was my case, how 

should [ be here V 

9. Son, comfort thyself, and think only of thy recovery ; 

— — — — — — gue7'ire 

for I promise thee that, the first thing* I do to-morrow, 

. „ . *' „^ 

I will go for it, and bring it to thee. 

10. The next day he sent a boy to her 

— seguente(2) (1) — — — fanciullo — c?^(2) /e«(3) 

house, desiring her to lend him the stone mortar; 
(1) pregare — che — — — — * — 

adding, that he had two neighbours to dine with 

— -— suoi — (3) (4) (2) 

him, and he intended to make some sauce. 
(1) sicche — voter e — — * — 

11. Neither have I, nor ever had, any one in whom I 

*(2) (3) (I) di - - 

placed, or place, such confidence as I repose 
Jidarsi (2) (3) Jidare(4) tanto (^l) * — fidarsi 

in Anichino. 
* 

12. Get up, I will do thee no harm ; only tell me how 
levare — — — — — — ma — — — 

thou earnest hither, and upon what account. 
* 

13. This worthy man, to whom you mavried me in 

— valente — — — — per moglie dare — — 
an ill hour, who calls bimself a merchant, and 

mia mat' or a — — — — — — 

who should be more temperate than a hermit, there 

— dovere — — — — — religiose 
are few nights but he goes to one tavern or other. 

— — set^a * — — per 



365 

14. 1 will have her painted in such a manner, that 
— ci * — dipingere — — — 

neither you, nor any one else, shall be able to say 

— — - — — potere (2) 

hereafter, that 1 have never been acquainted with her. 
piu (1) — — — — conoscere — 

15. Both by sea and land, for a rich person as you are, it 

^ — — ad — — uomo — — — ci 

is full of dangers. 

— — — pericolo 

16. When he offered to go away, she declared that she 

volendosi egli partire — dire — 

would by no means suffer it ; for Naples was not 

in — guisa — — percib che — — — 

a place to walk in during the night, 

— terra * andare vi per entro di — 

especially for a foreigner. 
e massimamente a — forestiero 

17. The nurse was exceedingly sorrowful at the loss of her 

— halia — oltremodo dolente * — — — — 

mistress, and the low state of life to which she saw 
donna — — misera fortuna in — — 

herself and the children now reduced. 

— — — — cadere 

18. Amongst these was the unfortunate Landolpho, who, 

intra — — — misero Landolfo — 

though he had wished for death / a thousand 
ancora che *(4) chiamare{S) ^2) V — — 

times the day before, \ rather than return home a 
— — — davantij (1) — — — — — 

beggar, now seeing her at hand, was terrified. 
povero — — presto * aver paura 

19. The lady having now reposed herself 
(3) (4) appresso(\) que8to(2) (6) (7) 

a little, having ordered a great fire to be made in a 
(5) - • _ • __ 

hall, she came thither, and inquired 

camminata venirsene(2) inquella(l^ — — 

respecting the honest man. 
che fosse di — buono — 



366 

20. Turning /with a merry countenance\ to 
rivolgersi'^(^4)\ — — lieto viso /(VyversoQl) 

her, he said. Madam, are only hens bred in this 
(3) — dama nascere (4) (5) (1) (2) 

country, and no cocks? 
joae6-e(3) sensa (2) gallo(l) 

21. If all the sins that ever were committed by men, or can 
(2) (1) fare 

be committed whilst the world lasts, were in one 
* fare mentre che — — durera — — — 

person, if that person was thoroughly penitent, as 
uom solo ed egli * — pentito e contrito -— 

I see you are, so great is God 's mercy> that 
— * ~ — -■=-- misericordia — 

they would all be forgiven. 
t — — 

22. Having purchased a light little vessel fit for 

* comperare — sottile (2) legnetto (1) * 

a pirate, he armed and furnished it with 

corseggiare (2) (3) guernire (4) quello (1) d' 

every thing proper for that purpose, and began to 
— — opportuno * tal servigio — darsi — 

make / other people 's goods\ his own. 

— \di ogni uomo * roba / (2) (1) 



EXERCISE XIX. 

1. He who knows any thing generally, does not know it 
— — , — — — iji genere — — — 

perfectly; as he who distinguishes an animal at 
— — — conoscere (2) (3) 

a distance ; for he does not know whether it is a 
* (1) perche — ^ _^ * — 

dog, a wolf, or a buck. 
— — — -. hecco 

t Let this pronoun be the object in the translation, God the subject 
understood, and supply the relation of tendency. 



2. Every thing* proceeding- in an inverse order is 
ciascuno — che procedere * — perversa — 

laborious, and, consequently, / not pleasing*,\ 

— — per conseguente \ e — dolce / (2) 

/but disagreeable A as sleeping during the day, and 
\ ^ amaro '^(l) — — * — — — 

sitting up at night, and retrograding instead of advancing. 
vegghiare * — — andare indietro e non innanzi 

3. For the subject to command the sovereign, is to proceed 

(2) (3) (1) * — — procedere 

in an inverse order ; as the proper order is for the 
* — (2) (1) che — diritto(2) (1) — — 

sovereign to command the subject. 

- (3) (1) (2) 

4. I advise that you return home, and get to 
* parere — — tornarsene — — andarsene — 

bed, having yourself covered up close, whilst you 
— * — (2) ben{\) e che — 

send for the doctor. 
— medico 

5. Not long after, he had counterfeit letters come from 
- (2) (1) » (2) (1) - - 

Rome, and pretended w^ith his subjects, that the Pope 

— — • far veduto a — — — — — 

thereby had dispensed with his marrying another 
* — — seco di poter iorre — 

woman. 
moglie 

6. As she had withstood other strokes of fortune, so she 
— — sostenere — ingiuria — — — 

determined to support this with a firm countenance. 
disporsi — sostenere — — viso 

7. Being arrived in England, he found his son to be a 

venire — — — — — — — 

great lord ; which was very agreeable to him. 

— — * aggradire forte — — 



368 

8. Friar Onion promises some country-people to show 

— Cipolla — * — contadini — — 

them the feather of the angel Gabriel ; instead of 

— — — — — — Gabriello in luogo — 

which, finding- coals, he says, They are some of those 

that roasted St. Lawrence. 

— arroBtire — Lorenzo 

9. Take this candle, honest man, and see whether it 
tenere — lume buono — — guatare — — ■ 

is clean to thy liking. 

— netto modo 

10. Sir, cranes have only one leg and foot; it is 

— grwt non — che — coscia — gamba — — 

as I tell you ; and I will convince you whenever you 
— — far vedere — quando * 

please. 

11. Though he had felt the most exquisite torture, and 

— — sostenere gravissimo pena — 

complained much of it, as the tooth was 
rammaricarsi (2} (1) — poichb — — n' — 

out, he thought himself cured ; and the pain 

— * par ere esser guarito — (2) (3) 

being abated, he went out of the chamber. 
(1) alleviare uscirsi — — — 

12. Pampinea then said, with a smile, " See, fortune is 

— — — sorridendo ecco che — — 

with us, and has thrown in our way three 
favorevole — — * — porre d' avanti — 

prudent and worthy gentlemen, who will conduct 
discreto (2^ valoroso(Z) giovane(l) — essere guida 

and wait upon us, if we do not refuse to accept 
e servidore ne — schifare* — prendergli 

of their service.'^ 
a quest' ufficio 



f Nouns ending in «, do not change their termination in the plural. 



869 

13. I believe he may say that I bear words with more* 

— — — potere — — — porlare — — — 

patience than thou dost deeds. 

- - - ' C^) (0 

14. Mr. Lizio, who was a man of g-ood understanding-, 
messer — — (3) (2) intendente(\) 

without any farther explanation, easily understood 

— — alt^'o dimostra^ione ottimo"^ — 
what Richard meant to say/ and, smiling, replied, 
— (3) volereQl) dir{\) — sorridere rispondere 

" Well hast thou set forth thy losses and virtue, 
assai bene — — mostrare — danno — 

as well as my avarice."' 

15. Causing* him to be sent for, he g-ave him a 

* — * chiamare gravissimamente 

severe rebuke, and ordered him to be put in 
riprendere — comandare * mettere — 

prison. 
carcere 

16. I do not know any man, of what quality soever, who 

— — — — — si alto affare * 

would not value you; much more, therefore, shall 
dovere — esser caro * non die 

I, who am but a mean trader. 
* — — — piccol mercatante 

17. Thoug-h he most earnestly desired what Amerigo now 

— — fervente'^ — — — 

offered him, and saw himself in his power, yet did he 
__ ______ __ forse 

by no means dissemble what his brave soul 

in — parte piegare — (3) generoso (l) animo (2) 

prompted him to utter. 
mostrare * — dire 

18. You will now hear what /will surprise you\ 

— tosto(2) (1) cosa che \far maravigliare — /(2) 

more ; namely, that I am your sister. 
(I) cioe — — * — — 

3 B 



370 

19. There the king, being served with many dishes^ 
quivi — — — (2) *(3) (4) mcs«o (5) 

one after another, and with the most costly wines, 
succe8sivamente(\) — • — vini ottimi e presiosi 

and looking sometimes at the beautiful marchioness, 
— riguardare talvolta — — — 

was extremely pleased. » 

avere sommo piacere 

20. You know, better than any other, that whoever desires 

— — — — — — — — volere 

to live honestly and well, must avoid, / as much as 
(3) (2) (1) — fuggire(2)\in * 

in him lies,'\ all occasions which may lead 

potere ^(1) ogni cagione — — condurre 

him to act otherwise. 

— — fare — 

21. Though great things have been already treated of, 

— — — — — avanti (2) dire (I) 

yet I purpose to relate a story no less true 
— intendere — raccontare — novella — — — 

than lamentable. 

— pietoso 



EXERCISE XX. 

1. In order more plainly to understand the literal sense 
a — chiaro* vedere — (2) sentenza{l) 

at which we now aim, it is necessary to know 
— — * — intendere — da — 

who, and how many, are those who are called to my 
audience. 



2. In every kind of speech, the speaker must chiefly 
— — maniera — sermone — - dicitore — massimo* 
aim at persuasion. 



371 

3. In every thing-, natural and artificial, it is impossible 

— ciascuno — — — — — — 

to proceed, if, first of all, the foundation be not 
* — —-—00 (4) fondamento (5) (2) (1) 

laid down, as in building a house, or in prosecuting study. 
fare (3) la — e — studiare 

4. When one says, man iives, we must understand that man 

— * — — vivere * — — — 

exercises reason, which is his special life, and the act 
usare — — speziale — — — 

of his noble part. 

5. He who departs from reason, and uses his sensitive 

— -_ partir8i(3) (1) (2) — — (2) (4) 

part only, does not live as a man, but as a beast. 
(3)jowre(l) — — — vivere — — 

6. Since the immortality of the soul is here mentioned, 
pero che di — — — toccare 

I will make a digression, and reason upon it. 
— — — ragionando * — 

7. Of all follies, that is most foolish, base, and 
intra — bestialitade — — * stolto vile* — 

injurious, of him who thinks that after this life 
dannoso * — — credere — • — — 

there is not another. 

— * — altra vita 

8. If we peruse the writings of philosophers, as well 

— — rivolgere — scrittura — Jilosofo 

as of other learned authors, w^e shall find all 

— — — savio scrittore — 

agree in this: that there is in us some 
concordare* — — *(3) (1) (2) — 

eternal part. 

perpetuate (2) (1) 

9. If all were deceived, an impossibility would follow, 

— — — ingannare (2) (3) s e guitar e (\) 

which still would be horrible to describe. 

— pure (3) (4) (1) ritrarre (2) 

3b2 



372 

10. Every one is persuaded that human nature is 

— _- _ certo — (2) (1) — 

the most perfect of all others here below; and 

perfettissimo — nature di — — — 

this no one denies. 

— — negare 

11. As many creatures living- are entirely mortal, 
pero che — che — (2) (^1) — 

as brutes, and all, as long- as they live, 

si come animale hruto — — mentre che — 

are without any hope of a future life; if our hope 

were vain, our imperfection would be greater than that 
-_ __ (3) difetto{4) (2) (1) — 

of any other animal, for this reason : that there have 

— — — — con do sia cosa — *(3) 

been already many men who have given up this life for 
(4) (2) (1) - - - 

that which is to come. 

— 

12. Thus it would follow, that the most perfect animal, 

— seguitare — — perfettissimo — 

which is man, would be the most imperfect ; which is 
impossible; and that that part, reason, which is 

his greatest perfection, would be the cause of his 

— (2) (1) ^ a lui — — 

greatest defect. 

13. Again, it would follow, that Nature, in prejudice to 
ancora — — — contra 
herself, had infused this hope in the human mind ; 

- (8)/,orre(7) (I) (2) (3) (4) (6) (5) 
since we have said, that many sought /for 

poiche ♦ *(2) (1) — — essere (2) corso (3) \ * 

the death of the body,\ to live in the other life ; 

_ ^(1) _ _ 

and that again is impossible. 
(2) (1) _ 



373 

14. Again we have a continual proof of our 

— vedere — — esperienza — — 

immortality in the prophecies of our dreams, which 
— — — divinazione — — — — 

could not be, if there was not in us any immortal 
(3) (2) (1) - (7) (6) (1) (2) (3) (5) 

part. 
(4) 

15. Ag-ain we are confirmed in it by the most veritable 

— ne accertare — * vero (2) 

doctrine of Christ, which is at once guide, truth, and 
(1) — _ ^ — via — — 

light. 
luce 

16. I say that this doctrine assures us beyond any other 
(3) (4) (1) (2) far certo ne sopy^a — — 

reason; because thereby is given us that which 
— pero che (3) (4) (2) quella{\) — 

sees and measures our immortality. 
(3) (4) (5) (1) immortalitade (2) 

17. Which we cannot perfectly see, whilst our immortal 

— — — — — mentre che — — 

part is mixed up with the mortal; but we see 
(4) mischiato {5) (I) (2) (3) — Q — 

it perfectly by faith. 
- (3) (1) (2) 

18. We see it by reason also, but with a shade of 

(5) (4) (1) (2) anche(S) — — — — — 

obscurity, which is produced by the mixture of the 
oscuritade — incontrare — — — — 

mortal with the immortal. 



19. And this must be a very powerful proof that there 
— — — — potente argomento — — 

is /in us both the one and the other.\ 
*(2)\ * ^(l) 



374 

20. Thus I believe, thus I affirm, thus I am certain it is, 

— -- — — — — (2) (1) 

and that /from this life I shall pass\ /to another 

— \dopo — passare /(2) V-r- — 

better,\ there, where that lady lives, of 
mta — / (1) — ove — donna — — 

whom my soul was enamoured, 
- (3) (2) (1) - 



INDEX. 



A 

A, an^ one, tlieir syntax, 86, 87. 

About, a preposition, how translated, 185, 194, 195c 

Adjectives, 48 — of quantity, tlieir syntax, 49 to 51. 

Adverbs, 235 — their syntax, 232. 

Age, hqw indicated in Italian, 89, 90. 

Alphabet, 1. 

Any, any body, any whatever, &c. their syntax, 75 to 80. 

Apostrophe, when used, 276, 277. 

Articles, how many, 23 — their conjunction with prepositions, 24 — their 

application, 25 to 34. 
As much, as many, &c. comparative terms, 65. 

At, a preposition, 18, 19, 188 — At that very moment , how rendered, 107. 
AuGMENTATiVES and Diminutives, 56 to 58. 
Auxiliary Verbs, to have and to be, 4 — their syntax, 157 to 162 — To be, 

used for many verbs in Italian, which are conjugated with to have, in 

English, 174, 175, 255, 256, 282. 

B 

Between, among, prepositions, 201. 
Both, how rendered, 80. 
Bttt, a conjunction, its syntax, 243. 
By, a preposition, 19, 20, 188. 

C 

Comparatives, of Equality, 65 — of Superiority and Inferiority, 68. 

Conditional Mood, its syntax, 209. 

Conjugations of Regular Verbs, 7. 

Conjunctions, 245 — their syntax, 246, 247. 

Conjunctive Adjectives, their syntax, 112 to 118. 

Could J, should I, had I, how expressed, 241, 242. 

D 

Date of the Month, how marked in Italian, 87. 
Demonstrative Adjectives, their syntax, 104 to 108. 
Demonstrative Pronouns, their syntax, 136 to 142. 



376 INDEX. 

E 

Each, every, each other, one another, &c. 75 to 80, 129. 

Either, how translated, 80. 

Ever, an adverb, 234, 235. 

Exercises, their disposition, 20 — ProwtVewotw JE^^rerme*, Introduction, 293^ 

F 

Far from, an English idiom, how rendered, 250, 
Farther, further, how translated, 71. 
-For, a preposition, 20, 197, 198. 
Former and latter, how expressed, 141. 
From, a preposition, 19, 188. 

G 

Genders, Masculine and Feminine, 11, 12. 

Genitive Case, as commonly called, how rendered, 17. 

H 

Half, how used, 89, 

He, him, her, pronouns, 122 — their syntax, 123 to 131 — He who, him 

whom, &c. 138. 
Here, an adverb, its syntax, 161, 233. 
Here I am, here it is, &c. how translated, 43. 
Herein, hereby, &c. how rendered, 117, 118. 
Himself, herself, 123 to 131. 
How much, how many, how great, &c. 49 — their syntax, 50, 51 — how, 

followed by another adjective, 235 — before an infinitive, 259. 
However rich, however poor, &c. how rendered, 199. 

I 

Jf, a conjunction, its syntax, 240 to 243. 

Idioms and Irregularities most frequent in Italian, 254 to 261. . 

Imperative Mood, its syntax, 208, 

In, into, prepositions, 19, 199. 

In order to, how supplied, 198, 

Interjections, 248 to 250. 

It, a pronoun, how rendered, 108, 122, 127, 128, 141. 

It is I, it is thou, &c. how translated, 159, 160 — It is he, it is she, it is 
they, 140 — It is a week, it is a year, two years, &c. 161, 162 — It is for 
you, it is for me, &c. it is your turn, &c, 223, 224 — // is cold, it is 
warm, &c. 224. 

Just then, how translated, 107. 



INDEX, 377 

L 

Let^ not rendered when it is auxiliary, 6. 
Lest, how supplied, 215. 
Longer y Kow rendered, 71. 

M 

Moods anrf Tenses, their syntax, 207 to 21G, 

More^ most, comparative terms, their syntax, 68 to 72 — most, when not 

preceded by the article, 226. 
Much, mani/y adjectives of quantity, 49. 
Ml/, thy, &c. mine,. thine, &c. possessive adjectives, 94 to 100. 

N 
Neither, kow translated, 80, 241 to 243. 
No, no one, Jiot any, nothing, their syntax, 75 to 7'^. 
Nor, a conjunction, its syntax, 241 to 243. 
Number, Singular anc? Plural, 12 to 15. 
Numeral Adjectives, 85 — their syntax, 86 to 90. 
Never, an adverb, its syntax, 234, 

O 

Object, a technical word in Grammar, 15. 

Of, a preposition, 17, 18, 183. 

Of one's own accord, how supplied, 194. 

Of little account, of great account, «&c. how supplied, 192, 

On account of, out of, how supplied, 198. 

Or, a conjunction, 243, 247. 

Orthography, 276 to 281. 

Others, another person, other people, 138, 139. 

P 

Participles Present, their syntax, 165 to 168. 

Participles Past, their syntax, 172 to 176. 

Perfect and Imperfect Tenses, 5 — their syntax, 266 to 270. 

Personal Nouns, 37— their application, 39 to 43. 

Point of Tendency, a technical word in Grammar, 39. 

Possessive Adjectives, 94 — their syntax, 94 to 100. 

Prepositions, their definition and literal translation, 16 to 20 their syn^ 

tax, 180 to 201. — Words called Prepositions, 230, 231 — their svntax, 

228 to 230. 
Preterite, a tense, 5 — its syntax, 266 to 270. 
Pronouns, 122 — their syntax, 122 to 131. 
Pronunciation, most remarkable sounds of the Italian language, 2, 3. 

3c 



378 INDEX. 



R 

Relations, a technical word in grammar, 16 — their syntax, 16 to 20. 
Relative Pronouns. — See Conjunctive Adjectives^ 112. 
Retrenchment, when used in Italian, 278 to 280. 



She^ a pronoun, 122»— ^Ae who^ 138. 

SOf so muchi so many, &c. terms of comparison, 65 — their syntax, 65 to 67. 

Some, somebody, &c. their syntax, 75 to 11 . 

Subject, a technical word in grammar, 15. 

Subjunctive Mood, its syntax, 210 to 215. 

Such, as, how rendered, 105, 106, 114. 

Such-a-one, how rendered, 114. 

Superlatives, their syntax, 71, 



Than, its definition, 70— its syntax, 68 to 70. 

That, its definition, 245— when not expressed in Italian, 215, 216, 247—" 

when it must be supplied, 162, 210, 214, 215, 243, 247. 
The, the article, 23 — its application, 25 to 34. 
The more, the less, terms of comparison, 65, 
They, them, pronouns, 122— their syntax, 123 to 131-— 7%ey, them, refer* 

ring to things, 108, 140. 
There, an adverb, its syntax, 161, 233- 
Therein, thereby, thereon, &c. how rendered, 117, 118. 
These two months , these three years, &c. how translated, 161, 162. 
This, that, these, those, demonstrative adjectives, 104 to 108. 
This man, that woman, these people, &c. demonstrative pronouns, 136 

to 138. 
Through, s preposition, 20,' 96, 97. 

To, a preposition, 17, 18, 185 to 188—when npt expressed before an infini- 
tive, 30, 261, 
To BE, auxiliary verb, its conjugation, 4—- its syntax, 157 to 162, 174, 175, 

255, 256, 282-— when supplied by the particle si, 146 to 153. 
To he thirsty, to he hungry, to he cold, to he warm, &c. how expressed, 256. 
To HAVE, auxiliary verb, its conjugation, 4 — its syntax, 157 to 162, 222, 

255, 256. 
To get, to desire, to cause, to order, &c. their syntax, 222, 
To like, to please, to tire, to think, to happen, &c. their syntax, 254 — To b^ 

necessary, to he obliged, 254. 



INDEX. 379 

V 
Verbs, Auxiliary, 4— Regular, 7 — Irregular, first conjugation, 282 — second 

conjugation, 283 to 290 — third conjugation, 290 to 292. 
Upon this, upon that y how translated, 107, 

W 

What, how rendered, 106, 115, 116. 

Whatever he, &c. how rendered, 199. 

When, instead of in which, when it happens, 117, 118. 

Wherein, whcrefrom, whereby, &c. how translated, 117. 

Whether, a conjunction, how supplied, 247. 

Which, who, whose, whom, Slc. their syntax, 112 to 118. 

With, a preposition, 17, 19, 185, 200. 

Whole, how rendered, 76, 



Table of some Particles which perform several parts in Gramynar, and the 
distinguishing of which, will be useful for the Student. 

Da, preposition, 19. 

Da', retrenchment of (/az, preposition and article, 25, 100. 
Da, a form of the verb dare, to give, 283. 
Gli, plural article, 23. 

Gli, singular pronoun, relation of tendency, 122. 
Gli, plural pronoun, object, 122. 
Le, article, 23. 

Le, singular pronoun, relation of tendency, 122, 
Le, plural pronoun, object, 122. 
Ne, preposition, instead of in, 24. 

Ne' , retrenchment of nei, preposition and aiticle, 25, 100. 
Ne, personal noun, used instead of ci, 43. 

Ne, pronoun indicating point of depart, 42, 127 — relation of qualifica- 
tion, 127. 
Ne, conjunction, negative, 241. 
Si, pronoun, 38, 124, 
Si, a peculiar particle, 146. 
St, term of comparison, 65. 
Si, affirmative. — See the Note, page 312. 

N. B. By this Table, the Student may also perceive how important it 
is to mark those particles with the accent or the apostrophe, when required. 



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